Ferns S. Aidan's 1-20
St. Martin’s 0-22
Talk about drama, talk about tension, talk about the sheer skill that this wonderful old game turns up for us at county and club level. And you will find it hard to come up with all these ingredients like Ferns did in winning the Wexford senior hurling title for the first time after five previous defeats at Wexford Park on Sunday.
Two outstanding teams who gave their all in the heat were neck and neck well down the final strait when the gifted Jonny Dwyer had his “William Tell” moment when he split the uprights with a sideline cut from distance of some 60 yards. Yes, to add to the moment, it was injury time when the winning score arrived and it finally forced a game Martin’s outfit to bow the knee after a pulsating encounter.
Up to then, the losers fought tooth and nail and seemed like they might force another day when both sharpshooter Joe Coleman and the indefatigable Kyle Firman got them level on the hour mark.
It was then O’Dwyer came to the fore with an assist for his colleague Chris O’Connor to give Ferns the lead again. Then Dwyer conjured up his once in a lifetime moment by cutting the point that ultimately won the game.
Ferns St. Aidan's: J Lawlor; P Breen (1-0), N Murphy, D Byrne (capt.); C Roberts, E Murphy, J Tonks (0-1); T Dwyer, R Scallan; I Byrne (0-5,0- 1 '65, 0- 3 fs), C Turner, J Dwyer (0-4, 0-1 line-ball); D Doyle (0-2), P Morris (0-3, 0-1 f), C Byrne-Dunbar (0-3) Subs: B Jordan (0-1) for I. Byrne, inj. (38), J Breen for Turner (41), C O’Connor (0-1) for Doyle (57), R Nolan for Scallan (60+1), Turner for Byrne-Dunbar, temp. (62-64).
St. Martin’s: D Byrne; D O’Leary, J Barrett (0-1), P O’Connor; P Dempsey, C Firman (capt.), D Codd; J Firman (0-1), M Maloney; L Kavanagh (0-1), A Maddock (0-1), J Coleman (0-10, 0-7f, 0-1 ‘65); M Coleman (0-1), K Firman (0-5), J Devereux (0-2) Subs: D Codd for Devereux (42), W Devereux for Kavanagh (49), J O’Connor for M. Coleman (52), D Waters for Maloney (54).
Ref: E. Furlong (Rapparees).
