Gusserane O’Rahilly’s end their long wait in Wexford

Gusserane O’Rahilly’s 0-11 Glynn-Barntown 0-10

A powerful finish that saw Gusserane O’Rahilly’s kick five unanswered points in the closing quarter helped them end a 41-year wait with a dramatic victory over Glynn-Barntown at Innovate Wexford Park yesterday.

Gusserane had looked a beaten side as Glynn-Barntown largely controlled the game and led 0-10 to 0-5, with 12 minutes remaining. But the game was then transformed as the New Ross District stormed back with five unanswered points to clinch a dramatic victory.

With intercounty hurling goalkeeper Mark Fanning spearheading the Glynn-Barntown challenge with three wonderful long-range points from play, they looked the more composed side. Michael O’Regan stretched their lead to 0-7 to 0-2 at the interval, with Gusserane points in reply coming through Jack Burford (free) and Adrian Flynn.

Gusserane enhanced their prospects with points from Shane Cullen (free), Seán Rossiter and a Burford 45, to reduce the deficit to 0-7 to 0-5 after 36 minutes. But Fanning and O’Regan responded with points to make it 0-10 to 0-5.

Two Shane Cullen points, one a free, followed by a Burford 45 along with a further Cullen pointed free, left the minimum separating the sides, at 0-10 0-9. Sub Mark Rossiter brought the sides level on 60 minutes before fellow sub Cillian Kehoe lofted over a dramatic long-range winner.

GUSSERANE O'RAHILLY'S: M Ryan; Somers, L Dillon, J O'Connor; A Redmond, K Cahill, J Burford (0-3, one free, two 45s); J Roche, A Flynn (0-1); P Conway, G Cullen, M O'Neill; J Cooney, S Cullen (0-4, three frees), S Ryan (0-1).

Subs: C Kehoe (0-1) for O'Connor; M Rositer (0-1) for Cooney; P Wallace for Roche.

GLYNN-BARNTOWN: L Rafter; S Lyne, R Tierney, P Donnelly; N Usher, J Leacy, J Stafford (0-1); M Doyle, B Doyle; C Doyle, M Fanning (0-4), A Cowman; B Doyle, M O'Regan (0-4, three frees, one 45), R Dempsey (0-1).

Sub: R Crosbie for B Doyle.

Referee: A Tobin (Geraldine O'Hanrahans).