Leinster honours for Wexford CBS boys
Second Division 3 title in a row for Wexford town side
THE players, the margin of victory and the surface may have all changed but the outcome remained the same as Wexford CBS won the Top Oil Leinster Schools First Year Division 3 title for the second consecutive season in Dunmore on Friday afternoon last.
Last year the Boker Boys sped their way across the Heywood CS astro to beat their Tipperary opponents Cistercian to the pro- vincial crown but they were no less impressive on the grass of the Kilkenny C.O.E with their new batch of champions.
And champions are what Wexford CBS are now breeding. There are no shortcuts to success, these wins are the direct result of players who want to learn, nurtured by mentors who know the hard work that sits behind all great successes.
The success must be all the sweeter because ‘the Brothers’ were able to give all thirteen subs a minimum of ten minutes.
It must also be encouraging that the lads that came on gave the exact same effort and played with the same desire that was on show from the first minute.
They took just two minutes to edge in front. William Murphy provided the assist, with Justin McMahon controlling the sliothar overhead before forcing the ball home with a pull off the deck.
After Brian O’Rourke pointed, CBS added a second major and it was arguably even more picture perfect. Cillian Ferriter fired the ball into a dangerous area, Shay O’Leary clawed it in on the run and raced clear to net.
Murphy and Shane Kehoe raised white flags as the second quarter started as the lead increased further (2-2 to 0-1). When Noah Whelan collected a break from Paidi Doyle’s short ‘65 and netted the result already looked beyond doubt.
Doyle registered a free late in the half and Shay O’Leary netted for the second time to see Wexford CBS in 4-4 to 0-3 ahead at the interval.
McMahon pointed within seconds of the restart but the scoring slowed as subs were introduced for both sides.
Ferriter sandwiched a Caleb Fleetwood goal with two of his own midway through the second stanza as his side moved 6-5 to 1-3 clear.
Wexford CBS didn’t score again but continued to defend with everything they had as the second quarter ticked away.
O’Rourke smashed home a late dead-ball for Cistercian but it was the Boker Boys day in the sun, leaving it to captain Paidi Doyle to collect the trophy from Pat Henderson on behalf of his side. WEXFORD CBS: Jack Kelly (Shelmaliers); Eoin Browne (St Anne’s), Mark Tormey (Faythe Harriers), Eoin Gleeson (Glynn-Barntown); Darragh Kirwan (Faythe Harriers), Paidi Doyle (capt., 0-1 free, St Anne’s), Rory Gilbert (Faythe Harriers); Darragh Hayes (St Mary’s, Rosslare), Shane Kehoe (0-1, Faythe Harriers); William Murphy (0-1, Crossabeg-Ballymurn), Cillian Ferriter (2-0, Glynn-Barntown), Noah Whelan (1-1, Faythe Harriers); James Hegarty (St Martin’s), Shay O’Leary (2-0, Faythe Harriers), Justin McMahon (1-1, St Anne’s). Subs. (rolling) - Conor Mullen (St Martin’s), Bobby Doyle (Taghmon-Camross), Jack Sinnott (St Anne’s), James Byrne (Our Lady’s Island), Shane Carroll (Bannow-Ballymitty), Rory Donohoe (St Mary’s, Rosslare), Josh Donovan (Glynn-Barntown), Dean Hillis (Faythe Harriers), Conor Martin (Shelmaliers), Charlie Quirke (St Martin’s), Jake Roche (Crossabeg-Ballymurn), Shea Ryan (St Mary’s, Rosslare), Conor Sidney (St Anne’s).
CISTERCIAN: Harry Grant; Aodhnan Barrett, Robert Tynan, Robert Gunnell; Cathal Hogan, Tom McKeon, Harry Duff; Josh Powell, Conor Flynn; Brian O’Rourke (1-2 frees), Caleb Fleetwood (1-1), James Liffey; Dan Punch (0-1), Frank Hyland, Aodan Kirwan. Subs. (rolling) - David Purcell, Raef Donnelly, Liam Daly.
REFEREE: John McCormack (Kilkenny)