Oulart-the-Ballagh1-10 Rathnure0-11
RATHNURE DID their best but they were unable to spoil Oulart-the-Ballagh’s day as the reigning champions held out to complete their three-in-a-row in this dour Wexford senior hurling championship final at Wexford Park yesterday.
It all ended in a whirlwind of black and white and confirmation that Oulart-the-Ballagh remain kingpins of the county for yet another year. When the reigning champions dug out that goal after just nine minutes, it turned out to be the most important score of the game, as it separted the sides for the remaining 50-odd minutes.
It was a game where defences stood tall. Andin a remarkable statistic, Rathnure had their single score from play, a Robbie Codd free after just 60 seconds of the start, the only time they led. Few would have envisaged the Oulart attack holding their opponents scoreless through the second half given the strength of the wind, but in all it was veteran Paul Codd who struck 10 points from placed balls.
Rathnure were unable to ratchet up the pace on the resumption in attack, and how they cried out for a forward capable of striking a point from play.
Credit to Oulart-the-Ballagh for the manner in which they tightened their grip on the game particularly through the closing quarter, as Rathnure were
never more than a puck away.
The reigning champions had to wait until the ninth minute to score, with a Shaun Murphy point. One minute later, in Oulart’s only sweeping move of the game, it was Nicky Kirwan who picked out Frank Cullen in front of goal, with the full-forward powering a rising shot to the net giving his side a 1-1 to 0-1 lead, a lead they were never subsequently to lose.
The exchanges continued close and tough to half-time, with Paul Codd reeling off three pointed frees for the challengers, while Rory Jacob, Stephen Doyle, David Redmond and Cullen on target for Oulart who went in leading 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval.
It was Paul Codd who landed the opening second-half point from a free, but Oulart responded with a point from man-of-the-match Shaun Murphy, after 38 minutes, to maintain his side’s four-point advantage.
With eight minutes remaining, Rathnure had got themselves within reach of what would have been a dramatic victory, with Codd showing unerring accuracy from placed balls, to leave just a single point separating the sides, 1-8 to 0-10. Nicky Kirwan landed a free with five minutes remaining, while two minutes from the end it was Codd who responded with a pointed free of his own, leaving it 1-9 to 0-11. On sixty minutes Codd was just wide with a free, before Oulart sealed it with a fine Garrett Sinnott point in added time.
OULART-THE-BALLAGH: B OConnor; P Roche, K Rossiter, B Kehoe; S Murphy (0-2), D Stamp, L Prendergast; M Jacob, D Redmond (0-1); S Doyle (0-1), G Sinnott (0-1), P Murphy; R Jacob (0-2), F Cullen (1-1), N Kirwan (0-2, frees). Subs: E Moore for Murphy (30 mins); D Nolan for Doyle (55 mins); D Mythen for Kirwan (59 mins); A Kavanagh for Moore (60 mins).
RATHNURE: J Morrissey; C Redmond, M OLeary, A OConnell; T OConnor, J OConnor, S ONeill; P Codd (0-10, 0-9 free, 0-1 65), P Whiteley; T Hogan, B OLeary, D Flynn; J Guiney, R Codd (0-1), N. Higgins. Subs: A Redmond for ONeill (inj 32 mins); F Murphy for Hogan (47 mins); R Flynn for D Flynn (51 mins).
Referee: J Flood (St Marys, Maudlintown).
