Ter Chin’s late goal
He fold as town team edges tight clash
k’ Walsh’s backroom ennett has returned nager Joe Morris for of policing Lee Chin , although the direct taken over for a spell y Niall Murphy, after another foul while on at full-forward by that ed far and wide both hile soccer star Paul an interesting – and ditional defender for oich also turned up nd attack at various rs, while John Breen s player in defence when Patrick Breen cy, and Rory Scallan y-Butler. ered a lot of ground, his team, while on the great to see captain ring a succession of ces on his big comeg long-term injury.
Colm Heffernan was in that bracket too and has lost none of his trademark bite, while a word of praise is due to Cormac Byrne – son of a Ferns man – who stuck to Paul Morris like glue and kept him as quiet as any defender could possibly wish.
Both sides let off steam in a brief row after the throw-in, with Conor Scallan collecting a yellow card before Niall Murphy joined him in the notebook for a separate foul on Lee Chin.
The Harriers had opted to play against the breeze first and, while they only scored once from play before the break, it proved a most crucial moment.
A Gavin Bailey point just after the water break left Ferns clear by 0-7 to 0-3, with Paul Morris (two frees), Ian Byrne (two frees and play), and Chris Turner on target earlier.
All three Harriers points came from Chin frees, and he made the telling burst down the middle at the start of the second quarter to release Glen Murphy-Butler for a timely goal.
Even though the eventual winners didn’t score again before half-time, whereas Ferns moved 0-11 to 1-3 clear courtesy of Turner, Morris (free), Bailey, and another Morris free, that five-point deficit wasn’t in any way intimidating.
Three Chin frees, with one in reply from Morris, narrowed the gap to 0-12 to 1-6 before Conall Clancy grabbed the first point of the second-half from play in the 40th minute.
A fine ball into space by Richie Kehoe then led to Chin’s sole score from play, and he followed with an equalising free before county colleague Morris replied in like fashion.
The water break followed immediately, and when Ciarán Roberts and Morris (free) stretched the Ferns lead to 0-15 to 1-9 on the re-start, the game looking to be theirs for the winning.
They will be kicking themselves that it didn’t work out that way, and it leaves them requiring victory over Fethard in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday in order to stay alive in this most unforgiving of formats.
Faythe Harriers: James Henebery; Alex Lynch, Brendan Mulligan, Cormac Byrne; Richie Kehoe (capt.), Colm Heffernan, Conall Ó Crualaoich; Josh Shiel (0-1), Kyle Scallan; Richie Lawlor, Lee Chin (1-9, 1-8 frees), Michael
Hanrahan; Paul Murphy, Glen Murphy-Butler (1-0), Conall Clancy (0-1). Sub. - Pádraigh Farrell for Murphy-Butler (57).
Ferns St. Aidan’s: James Lawlor; Patrick Breen, Rory Scallan, John Breen; Ciarán Roberts (0-1), Conor Scallan, James Tonks;
Ian Byrne (capt., 0-3, 2 frees), Gavin Bailey (0-2); Niall Murphy, Christopher O’Connor, Eoin Murphy; Paul Morris (0-8, 6 frees), Chris Turner (0-2), Diarmuid Doyle. Subs. - Benny Jordan for Doyle (46), Jonny Dwyer for Turner (46).
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).