Show of strength from Martin’s

THE POWER and precision of St. Martin’s proved far too strong for Ferns St. Aidan’s as the Piercestown-based lads surged into the Greenstar Under-20 football Premier championship semi-finals with a commanding 6-9 to 0-4 victory in Saturday’s one-sided tie on the back pitch in Ferns.

While play oscillated back and forth in the early throes without a single shot at the posts, as soon as St. Martin’s opened the scoring on four minutes, they never looked back thereafter.

That ice-breaker arrived when Kyle Firman’s point attempt came down off a post, and Jack Devereux gathered the rebound before sweeping to the roof of the net.

Diarmuid Barry notched their first point 30 seconds later, and when the Bens, Maddock and Stafford, combined, the latter’s cross found Barry to goal with a postage-stamp finish to the top corner.

Ferns goalkeeper Liam Murphy then twice denied Devereux with good saves from almost identical positions, and his side eventually got up and running through frees from Ciarán Murphy and James Lawlor.

However, the second of those placed balls was followed by an outstanding goal for St. Martin’s.

Kyle Firman’s pass out of the right corner was connected with soccer-style by David Cantwell, giving Murphy no chance as the ball crashed off the underside of the crossbar.

Chris Turner sandwiched a free between points from play by Cantwell and Devereux and, whether by accident or design, Sam Audsley’s daisy-cutter nestled in the bottom corner of the net as they opened up a unassailable 4-3 to 0-3 half-time lead.

Lawlor had Ferns’ final score, and their only from open play, within a minute of the re-start, but St. Martin’s pounced for two more goals to announce themselves as the team to beat in this championship.

First up, half-time substitute Zac Firman finished from close range after being teed up by Conor Kelly, while Barry raised his second green flag when he latched onto a long punt inside to squeeze through a hole in the net.

Wing-back Ben Stafford got up the field to make it 6-6 to 0-4 on 41 minutes.

Fellow defender Joe Barrett did likewise, while Stafford and Zac Firman added the last two points on a comfortable afternoon for the Wexford District side.

St. Martin’s: Brandon Dodd; Joe Barrett (0-1), Michael Codd, Eoin O’Leary; Sam Audsley (1-0), Philip Dempsey, Ben Stafford (0-2); Adam Cantwell, Ben Maddock (capt.); Conor Kelly, Jack Devereux (1-1), David Cantwell (1-1); Oisín Waters, Kyle Firman (0-1), Diarmuid Barry (2-2). Subs. - Zac Firman (1-1) for Waters (HT), David Mernagh for D. Cantwell, inj. (33), Ben Morris for Kelly (44), Jordan Hayes for K. Firman (44), Luke Kavanagh for Devereux (44).

Ferns St. Aidan’s: Liam Murphy; Patrick O’Toole, Patrick O’Hagan, Steve Warren; Rob Murphy, Conor Scallan, Rory Scallan; Willie Bolger, Niall Murphy; Lee Quigley, James Lawlor (capt., 0-2, 1 free), Shane Breen; Adrian Breen, Chris Turner (0-1 free), Ciarán Murphy (0-1 free). Subs. - Pádraig Kinsella for S. Breen, inj. (8), Barry O’Toole for R. Murphy (18), Shane Stafford for C. Murphy (41), Jeff Tobin for O’Hagan (42), Barry Murphy for P. O’Toole (46), Byron Jordan for Quigley (46).

Referee: Eddie O’Sullivan (Kilanerin).