SENIOR HURLING CHALLENGE IN KILMORE Fringe players given chance
GAA Experimental Wexford lose to south-east neighbours
KILMORE CELEBRATED a special landmark day in their proud and illustrious club history on Sunday when a decent crowd braved the poor weather to watch Wexford face Waterford in a Senior hurling challenge after the official opening of their re-developed facilities.
And while the strong wind that’s an ever-present fact of life at the south county venue had its usual big bearing on proceedings, thankfully the rain had come and gone by the time two experimental teams met in a contest won quite comfortably by the visitors.
It was a blast from the past for Wexford boss Davy Fitzgerald who of course led Waterford to the All-Ireland final of 2008, while the situation was a very familiar one also for trainer Páraic Fanning who comes from a famous Mount Sion hurling family.
Wexford didn’t start anyone who had featured in the first 15 against Galway one week earlier, giving an opportunity to the rest of the panel members to show what they’re made of.
And it was encouraging to see Jack Guiney donning the newstyle jersey for the first time this year, although he got little opportunity to display his undoubted talent as the Fives brothers capably manned the centre-back berth for Waterford, with Shane replacing Darragh in the second-half.
Oliver O’Leary and Darragh Hughes got a half apiece in goal, while Anthony Roche of Oulart-The Ballagh earned a late call-up to the defence while full-back Willie Devereux was unfortunate to pick up an ankle injury at an early stage.
Teenager Damien Reck filled the role of sweeper currently manned in league fare by Shaun Murphy, while it was also good to see Gary Moore featuring in the number 14 jersey after a couple of injury-ravaged years.
Waterford had first use of the very strong wind blowing towards the cemetery end, and they held a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the end of the first quarter.
A quick point from a Nicky Kirwan free after 42 seconds following a foul on David Dunne was followed by three Maurice Shanahan efforts from a free, a ’65 and play along with one from Tommy Ryan.
Stephen Bennett flashed a goal attempt to the right and wide in the 14th minute, one of nine efforts off target from the visitors before the break.
Another Kirwan free, earned by Gary Moore, made it 0-4 to 0-2 before Darragh Fives split the posts from long range and Brian O’Halloran then widened the gap to four.
Guiney shot the sole Wexford wide of the half from a free on the right before Moore pulled back a point, but Waterford created some daylight between the sides from the 28th minute to the break.
They scored five of the six points recorded in that spell to move 11-4 clear, with Eoin Conroy’s effort for Wexford coming in the midst of successful shots at the other end from Darragh Fives, Maurice Shanahan (free and play), Tommy Ryan and a Shanahan ’65.
The home side made a triple half-time substitution, with Darragh Hughes, Podge Doran and Harry Kehoe coming on for Oliver O’Leary, Nicky Kirwan and Liam Ryan respectively, as the latter returned to the bench after earlier replacing the injured Willie Devereux.
Jack Guiney and Maurice Shanahan traded early pointed frees before Kehoe made it a double scores game in the 41st minute with the first of his three points (0-12 to 0-6).
Waterford then rapidly put the outcome beyond doubt as their high-octane short passing and support game was seen at its best as they worked the ball cleverly into the wind.
They were very accurate too, with four points in just over three minutes from Maurice Shanahan, Brian O’Halloran, D.J. Foran and Stephen Bennett leaving ten between the sides.
Harry Kehoe halted the flow, but not for long as Shanahan (free) and lively substitute Mikey Kearney increased the Division 1A side’s advantage to 18-7 by the 48th minute.
Cathal Dunbar pointed from a good crossfield pass by Eanna Martin before David Dunne sold a neat dummy to a defender on the left flank and fired over.
Another Mikey Kearney point produced three in response from Wexford courtesy of Jack Guiney (free), Martin and substitute Jack O’Connor, but the home team never looked like overcoming that big deficit.
They ended with eight wides while Waterford had 13, with the Munster side stretching their advantage to nine again thanks to points from Patrick Curran (free), Stephen Bennett and Mikey Kearney.
Harry Kehoe had added his third in that spell before Wexford made the scoreline a little more respectable with a late contribution of 1-1 from Podge Doran.
His goal came from a long Darragh Hughes puck-out early in added time, with Nicky Kirwan popping a pass to the big man who netted from a powerful shot slightly to the right of the posts.
Doran also sent a late free over the bar as the day - if not the game itself - drew to a successful conclusion for Kilmore whose organisation of every aspect of this major occasion for the parish was first class.
Now the focus switches to next Sunday in Innovate Wexford Park and the third Allianz League game against Kerry. With victories over our two most likely promotion rivals already in the bag, it will be crucial to keep the momentum going and ensure no unexpected slip-ups appear in the quest to reach the top flight.
Wexford: Oliver O’Leary; Anthony Roche, Willie Devereux, Eoin Conroy (0-1); Shane O’Gorman, Aaron Maddock, Andrew Kenny; Eanna Martin (0-1), Damien Reck; Kevin Foley, Jack Guiney (0-2 frees), David Dunne (0-1); Cathal Dunbar (0-1), Gary Moore (0-1), Nicky Kirwan (0-2 frees). Subs. - Liam Ryan for Devereux, inj. (18), Darragh Hughes for O’Leary (HT), Harry Kehoe (0-3) for Ryan (HT), Podge Doran (1-1, 0-1 free) for Kirwan (HT), Jack O’Connor (0-1) for Roche (53), Kirwan for Foley (56).
Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Seamus Keating, Shane McNulty, Darragh Lyons; Noel Connors, Darragh Fives (0-2), Stephen Daniels; Philip Mahony, Stephen Roche; Tommy Ryan (0-2), Maurice Shanahan (0-9, 4 frees, 2 ’65s), D.J. Foran (0-1); Brian O’Halloran (0-2), Stephen Bennett (02), Billy Nolan. Subs. - Jake Dillon for Mahony, inj. (18), Shane Fives for D. Fives (44), Kevin Moran for Connors (46), Patrick Curran (0-1 free) for Nolan (47), Mikey Kearney (0-3) for Foran (47), Michael Walsh for Shanahan (47), Tadhg de Búrca for Keating (52), Barry Coughlan for McNulty (56).
Referee: Dan Crosby (Kilmore).