Reports of 32 games on the local club scene
Ferns fight back for draw
FERNS ST. AIDAN’S 1-15 FAYTHE HARRIERS 0-18
TWO LATE frees from Tommy Dwyer gave Ferns St. Aidan’s a share of the spoils as they came from behind to deny Faythe Harriers their second win in Group B of the Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship in Bellefield on Sunday.
This was a hugely entertaining encounter with both teams desperately in search of a second victory as the hunt for the third and fourth spots in this group becomes ever more interesting.
The hunger of Faythe Harriers was evident as they got off to a flying start, with Lee Chin pulling the strings on the ’40, catching a mountain of ball, laying off passes and finding the target on four occasions in the opening quarter.
It could have been even better for the Wexford town side after they won an early penalty, only for Rhys Clarke’s stinging shot to be excellently saved by Mick Walsh.
It took Ferns a while to settle into the game, only hitting their second point midway through the half.
But they then hit a purple patch, outscoring their opponents by five points to one with Ian Byrne and Christopher O’Connor doing the honours, leaving them only trailing by two at the break.
The beginning of the second period was the opposite of the first as it was Ferns who hit the ground running, edging themselves in front within eight minutes.
Paul Morris caused panic every time he got the ball, scoring two points and putting a goal chance barely wide.
Rhys Clarke missed an equally good opening at the other end before Ferns were given a huge boost when Chris Turner reacted fastest to the breaking ball and finished to the net with ease.
The final period was real dogfight with both teams going at each other with everything they had.
Morris, in excellent form, con- tinued to torment the Harriers defence but four points from Chin edged his side in front as the game headed into added time.
But Ferns weren’t finished yet and earned themselves two frees in injury time which Dwyer calmly put over, leaving the last eight to be decided in the final round of games.
Ferns St. Aidan’s: Mick Walsh; Patrick Breen, John Breen, Brian O’Neill; Ryan Nolan, James Tonks, Conor Scallan; Tommy Dwyer (0-3, 2 frees), Gavin Bailey (0-1); Jonathan Dwyer (0-1), Benny Jordan, Ian Byrne (0-2); Chris Turner (1-0), Paul Morris (0-4), Christopher O’Connor (0-4, 3 frees).
Faythe Harriers: Ian Scallan; Cormac Byrne, Richie Kehoe, Ross Lynch; Brendan Mulligan, Colm Heffernan, Alex Lynch; Michael Hanrahan, Rhys Clarke; Wayne Mallon, Lee Chin (0-12, 7 frees, 2 ‘65s), John Bridges (0-1); Pádraigh Farrell (0-4), David Mooney (0-1), Shane Wilde. Subs. - Stephen Kearney for Wilde, Dean Walsh for Mallon.
Referee: John Carton (Monageer-Boolavogue).