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First team retain Senior Status
Sarsfields 3-8, Fethard 2-6
Sarsfields ensured they will spend their 100th anniversary
as a Senior football club as they dug deep to defeat Fethard
in a hard-fought WFC Oil relegation semi-final in Kilmore on
Saturday last.
A superbly-executed goal nine minutes into the second-half
by teenage attacker Andrew Moore was the key score as the
Wexford town team preserved the status which they have held
since winning the 1979 Intermediate crown. Fethard, on the
other hand, have the daunting prospect of facing a
relegation decider for the second season running, having
survived last year against Glynn-Barntown.
Sarsfields had first use of the strong wind and established
an interval lead of 2-5 to 1-1, despite hitting the grand
total of ten wides without reply from their rivals. Former
Dublin under-age player, Cian Hore, gave them an early lead,
but they were rocked in the eighth minute when a rare
Fethard attack ended with Robert Swan side-footing the ball
to the net after earlier efforts from himself and Damien
Browne were kept out. Sarsfields steadied themselves with a
15th-minute penalty goal, converted by Philip Cullen after
Cian Hore¹s inch-perfect pass found Andrew Moore who was
taken down by Robert Whelan. The excellent Emmet Keeling and
Hore (free) added points before a long line ball by Lee
Walker was fisted to the net by full-forward Ciarán O¹Leary
in the 21st minute (2-4 to 1-0).
The impressive Garret Dunne and Hore went on to swap points
before the break, but Fethard started strongly with the
elements now in their favour. Daniel White¹s point was
followed by a goal from their most menacing forward, Damien
Browne, and Sarsfields had a battle on their hands (2-5 to
2-2). The timing of their third goal couldn¹t have been
better, as it arrived less than two minutes after Browne¹s
effort and knocked the wind out of Fethard¹s sails. Lee
Walker¹s crossfield ball from the right was met on the run
by Andrew Moore, and he finished soccer-style with
considerable style to give his side a huge boost. While
Fethard kept pressing, they couldn¹t narrow the gap to
anything less than three points. Seán Dunphy and Cian Hore
exchanged scores before Seán Foley and free-taker Jim Byrne
(two) left the score standing at 3-6 to 2-6 in the 59th
minute. Emmet Keeling, who was a most effective third
midfielder against the wind, then took centre stage, setting
up Philip Cullen for a point before adding the final score
of the game himself. However, there was a lot of drama
packed into almost nine minutes of added time, with Philip
Cullen missing a great goal chance before Fethard captain
Robert Whelan was dismissed for a second booking. The New
Ross District crew couldn¹t break down a resolute Sarsfields
defence though, and they now have one last chance to
survive.
Sarsfields: James Roice; Enda Whelan, Paul Harrington, David
Gannon; Brendan Mulligan, Michael Hanrahan, Colm Callery;
John Harrington, David Clancy; Lee Walker, Cian Hore (0-4, 1
free), Andrew Moore (1-0); Philip Cullen (1-2, 1-0 pen., 0-1
free), Ciarán O¹Leary (capt., 1-0), Emmet Keeling (0-2).
Sub. - Kevin Gore for Walker.
Fethard: Nicholas Molloy; Paddy White, Robert Whelan (capt.),
Martin Power; Mikey Banville, Seánie Colfer, Thomas Colfer;
Jim Byrne (0-2 frees), Garret Dunne (0-1); Daniel White
(0-1), Seán Dunphy (0-1), Seán Foley (0-1); Damien Browne
(1-0), Christopher Colfer, Robert Swan (1-0). Subs. - Philip
Tubritt for C. Colfer, Mark Hanton for Banville.
Referee: Niall McDonald (Crossabeg-Ballymurn). |
