FERNS KEEP PACE
Late goals decide cracking contest
WITH BUNCLODY racing away at the top of Division 2A of the Wexford and District Schoolboys Under-11 league, hosts Ballymurn Celtic and Ferns met on Saturday to see who could keep pace.
After a cracking game between two fairly evenly-matched sides, late goals from Jerry Sheridan and Ben O’Connor ensured it was the visitors who kept their hopes of catching Bunclody alive.
It hardly came as any surprise that these two produced such an entertaining match. On the opening day of the season they met in Ferns and only the odd goal in eleven ensured that the hosts took the points on that occasion.
Celtic wanted a fast start in this tie and almost got it when Jack Redmond tested Charlie Murphy’s reactions in the opening minute. However, when Ferns mounted their first attack, a few moments later, they did find the net.
Jerry Sheridan was a real thorn in the Ballymurn side with his pacey runs on the right.
He provided the whipped centre that Alex Murphy headed past Conor O’Brien, with Seán Dwyer on hand to make sure the ball crossed the line.
Ferns probably had the better of it for a while but O’Brien in the Celtic goal was superb. When Seán Murphy slipped Alex Murphy away, the Ballymurn stopper was out quickly to make the first of many excellent saves.
The home side popped back into the game in the second quarter, with both Seán Hennessy and Cronin Murphy testing Charlie Murphy in the Ferns goal. Yet, there was nothing the visiting goaltender could do to deny Hennessy five minutes before the interval when his daisy-cutter whizzed in from the right wing to level the contest at 1-1.
There was no sense of panic from Ferns. At the start of the second-half they went about their business, pushing men forward and attacking in search of a lead goal. They didn’t have to wait long as Seán Murphy soon drilled an unstoppable shot past O’Brien.
Ballymurn are a side with real resilience, not only suggested by the results in some of their other games, but by how they responded again.
Four minutes after falling behind, Jack Redmond took possession and sent a swerving, dipping drive past Murphy to equalise.
The teams were playing tena-side, which is fantastic for the players, getting more game time. However, it became a little taxing on the team without any available substitutions, Ballymurn.
Ferns dominated the final quarter and it came as no surprise when Sheridan drilled low through a crowded goalmouth to give his side a 3-2 lead. In the final minute Ben O’Connor’s long-range effort took wicked a deflection and whipped past O’Brien to secure the points for the visitors.
Ferns United: Charlie Murphy; Oisín Cronin, Fionn Andrews, Jack Brennan; Jerry Sheridan, Ben O’Connor, Charlie O’Mara, Seán Murphy; Seán Dwyer, Alex Murphy. Subs. (rolling) - Leon McLoughlin, Finn O’Flynn.
Ballymurn Celtic: Conor O’Brien; Kevin Berry, Seán Hennessy, Emma Lawlor; Cronin Murphy, Jack Redmond, Chloe Murphy, Ryan Doyle; Evan O’Leary, Jamie Larkin. Referee: Ger Morris.
Referee: Ger Morris.