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Enniscorthy’s finest produce stunning
A SUPER Starlights team marked their club centenary in the best possible way in Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday, producing a sensational display of positive, attacking football to clinch the Tom Doyle Supplies Senior championship crown for the first time since 2004.
St. Martin’s entered the contest with high hopes of completing the double, and as favourites in the eyes of many keen observers, but their dreams were shattered by the superbly prepared Enniscorthy side as a remarkable transformation saw the title clinched just twelve months after surviving a tense relegation decider.
This victory was every bit as decisive and commanding as that enjoyed by their opponents in the previous Sunday’s hurling final. In actual fact, Starlights probably exercised even more control of proceedings this time around as their swift counter-attacking tore the saints to shreds.
There was so much to admire about the winners’ performance, but one of the stand-out features was their excellent kick passing into the open spaces. Their clever use of the ball gave their speedy players all the time in the world to do untold damage, especially lively young corner-forward Darragh Pepper whose five-point haul from play made him a worthy winner of the man of the match award.
Big Nick Doyle claimed no fewer than five marks and, together with towering partner Liam Ryan, they controlled an area that tended to be the launching pad for most St. Martin’s victories during the campaign.
Alan Tobin also kicked some sweet points with his accurate left boot, while the often unsung Rory O’Connor did a brilliant first-half marking job on his promising young namesake, Barry, who was withdrawn before half-time.
The corner-back even found the time to burst forward for a rousing point, one of nine Starlights kicked to surge into a 0-9 to 1-2 lead.
It was a clear reflection of their dominance, and in truth the gap should have been bigger because the goal was a giveaway after a rare defensive lapse on an afternoon when veteran captain Tom Wall marshalled the colleagues around him to telling effect.
He was the only man to have played for the full hour in the 2004 triumph as well as on Sunday, although late substitutes Jason Russell and Tomás Mahon started 13 years ago. The direct links were completed by Eamonn Furlong, who came off the bench in that last victory against Sarsfields, while Rory O’Connor and Damien Tobin were unused substitutes on that occasion.
This was a tenth Senior title in total for Starlights to bring them level with Ballyhogue and Castletown on the roll of honour, just one behind Volunteers. And with a home tie against Simonstown Gaels of Meath to look forward to now in Leinster on Sunday week, those centenary celebrations are set to be ramped up even further.
As for St. Martin’s, it was a very disappointing display from a team with such a big prize at stake. They were just 60 minutes away from becoming the first club since St. Anne’s in 2000 to complete the Senior double, but they were unable to match the feat of their near neighbours on a day when their shooting was deplorable.
The wides count read 10-1 at half-time, and it had extended to 15-3 by the finish. And whereas Starlights displayed admirable composure in front of the posts for a team contesting a final for the first time in ten years, the losers repeatedly fluffed their lines and some of the options taken in the last third of the field left a lot to be desired.
Starlights won the toss and opted to play into the town end first on a perfect day for football, deploying a two-man full-forward line in Eamonn Furlong and Darragh Pepper while Ryan Mahon went roving outfield.
As expected, St. Martin’s settled better and had the majority of possession in the opening four minutes, but all they could show for it was a Jack O’Connor point after a strong run forward by Mikey Coleman.
Otherwise, Conor Firman kicked an early attempt short to a grateful Pa Doyle, and O’Connor’s point was followed by the first brace of those 15 wides from Rory O’Connor and Jamie Carty.
The early lift Starlights needed arose from the latter kick-out as high-fetching midfielder Nick Doyle claimed the first of his five marks and turned to see a wideopen gap inviting him to attack.
He surged down the centre before parting to his left for Darragh Pepper who blazed over when a goal was a distinct possibility, but it was the start of a most fruitful hour for this talented duo.
Just under a minute later Starlights hit the front for the first time, and that’s where they stayed all the way to the end. Alan Tobin, Liam Ryan and Dillon Redmond had a role in the move that ended with Richie Farrell fisting over from the right of the posts, and only good defending prevented the scorer from adding to his tally on the next attack.
Jack Kelly set up Liam Ryan for a fine point from long range in the tenth minute, with a Jake Firman wide at the other end followed by a mark for Rory O’Connor (Starlights) who off-loaded to Pepper for his second score (0-4 to 0-1).
Firman, one of the more productive Martin’s players, did enjoy better luck when he finished off a Barry O’Connor pass, but a run of three Starlights points on the trot saw them establish a healthy 0-7 to 0-2 lead early in the second quarter.
Pepper, who was on fire, finished off a Liam Ryan handpass before Willie Devereux cleared a probing ball directed into the square by Ryan Mahon.
Barry O’Connor then lost his footing under pressure from Starlights’ Rory O’Connor, and the defender latched on to a Richie Farrell handpass as the attack developed to kick a beauty on the run.
Yellow cards were dished out to Eamonn Furlong and Willie Devereux before Nick Doyle played a quick free into space for Jack Kelly and, although the wing-back slipped, he still had the presence of mind to pop the ball back to Alan Tobin who calmly struck it over the bar (0-7 to 0-2).
St. Martin’s were in need of some inspiration, but it didn’t arrive when Conor Firman broke forward and directed his attempt on goal low to the left and wide.
However, they were handed a lifeline when the subsequent short kick-out resulted in some dithering and a needless turnover. Ciarán Lyng dribbled in from the right with the ball on the ground and offered a reminder of why he once spent time with both Preston North End and Shrewsbury Town as he beautifully lofted the ball over former Wexford Youths number one Pa Doyle for a cleverly-finished goal.
It was a blow without question for Starlights, but they didn’t concede another score before half-time and that was significant. Even more importantly, they tacked on two points to their own tally in that period to show that they weren’t unduly rattled by that sole costly lapse.
While St. Martin’s kicked an incredible six wides between Lyng’s goal and the break, Starlights made full use of less possession as Darragh Pepper rewarded a long, selfless run by Richie Farrell with a point before Eamonn Furlong grabbed a Ryan Mahon delivery and kicked it swiftly over the bar without hesitation.
Their sole wide of the half came 55 seconds into added time from Liam Ryan, although they should have goaled too in response to that Lyng strike in the 23rd minute. A Dillon Redmond free-kick hopped into the path of Kevin Foley inside the defensive cover, and he bore down on Tomás Hayes but possibly had too much time to think about it as his low shot was smothered by the netminder.
And then, after falling 0-9 to 1-2 into arrears, Jake Firman and Ciarán Lyng created a goal chance for Paudie Kelly, but he hesitated at the key moment by opting to bounce the ball and the opportunity was lost.
Interestingly, all twelve scores had arrived from play in a half when referee Barry Redmond only awarded a dozen frees, six per team.
Just 49 seconds were gone on the re-start when Dillon Redmond converted the first point from a placed ball after he was fouled.
And although the hard-working Richie Farrell had to depart with an injury, Starlights had the luxury of replacing him with a player of the calibre of Aaron Dobbs who would surely be a regular on this team but for his soccer commitments.
Paudie Kelly over-hit a handpass across goal to Rory O’Connor as St. Martin’s pressed, but their rivals remained a lot more clinical as Darragh Pepper was fouled on a solo run by Harry O’Connor and Redmond doubled his tally (0-11 to 1-2).
Rory O’Connor’s point from a Mikey Coleman pass was the first Martin’s score in 19 minutes, but another long barren spell followed. Indeed, the game had slipped away from them by the time they registered again some twelve minutes later, as Starlights had added three points in between.
The free-taking duties switched to left-footer Alan Tobin who pointed after Liam Ryan was fouled on a strong run, and the big man they call ‘Gooch’ then lofted a high effort from play between the Clonard end posts from a Pepper handpass.
Pepper, who had the game of his life, followed up with his fifth point from a Dillon Redmond off-load, with the sheer quality of football produced by Starlights leaving St. Martin’s in serious bother.
Aaron Dobbs was booked before Rory O’Connor faked a shot and instead slipped a neat pass inside to Mikey Coleman, but he couldn’t get a kick away and substitute Ryan Murphy had an effort blocked in the follow-up.
Ciarán Lyng and Ricky Fox were booked on either side of a gilt-edged St. Martin’s goal chance when Joe Coleman picked out Jamie Carty, but his shot from point-blank range was saved superbly by Pa Doyle and mopped up by Rory O’Connor when the break spun into the air.
Lyng got the Martin’s side of the scoreboard going again with two pointed frees, but they were now in danger of being caught on the break as the game entered the last six minutes.
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Starlights: Pa Doyl Tom Wall (capt.), Mel D Ricky Fox, Jack Kelly; Doyle; Alan Tobin (0-4 (0-1), Dillon Redmon Pepper (0-5), Eamon Mahon. Subs. - Aaron (32), Ben Edwards for F for Redmond (60+2), J (60+4), also Damien Killian Lett, Anthony Brendan Kearney, Con Ed Tobin, Ronan Kirwa
St. Martin’s: Tomás Willie Devereux (joint c Conor Firman, Aaron nor; Daithí Waters, Jac O’Connor (0-1), Paud (0-2); Ciarán Lyng (1 Carty (joint capt.), Barr Coleman for B. O’Con for Kelly (43), Peter B (50), Ed O’Byrne for M Codd for Carty (58), al Maddock, Michael C Patrick O’Connor, Eoin Brian Berney.
Referee: Barry Red