Sport

Battle of Codd and Jacob ends in no one's favour

Wexford SHC Final/Oulart-the-Ballagh 1-13 St Anne's 0-16: Checking up on the health of Wexford hurling

Gavin Cummiskey at Wexford Park
Mon Oct 16 2006 - 01:00

Wexford SHC Final/Oulart-the-Ballagh 1-13 St Anne's 0-16: Checking up on the health of Wexford hurling. As far as passion for the ancient game goes, they are just fine. What started as a poor advertisement for a county final, littered with basic errors, evolved into a whirlwind of excitement and near-perfect symmetry between hand and hurl.

As occasionally happens in club championships, this was all about two families. The Codds of Askinfarney and the Jacobs from Oulartwick. Although Paul Codd and Michael Jacob were plying their trade within 15 yards of each other all afternoon, they never actually came into direct contact but the chiefs of their respective households became embroiled in a riveting head to head.

Funny then that it was their younger brothers who struck the scores in a gripping finale that kept 8,630 souls captivated until referee Seán Whelan pulled the plug.

Some dinosaurs from the All-Ireland winning experience of 1996 were still about yesterday. Martin Storey needed a new hurley after just 30 seconds and prowled, albeit a confined area of turf, with the old passion if not the dash. No scores for the 42-year-old but a yellow card and he was mixing it at the death.

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Liam Dunne was a few yards behind him, contesting a decent subplot - captain versus captain - with Martin Byrne.

But this game ultimately became a shootout between messrs Codd and Jacob. Initially it seemed like Mick Jacob's frees would merely oversee the coronation of Oulart-The-Ballagh's first three in a row.

Perhaps realising this, Paul Codd went for goal with his first placed ball. The 25-yard effort fizzed wide. Rory Jacob immediately pointed down the other end to open up a three-point deficit.

Rathnure needed to up the tempo to survive. They were assisted by Oulart-The-Ballagh racking up seven wides, despite playing with a first-half gale. A couple of Codd frees were complemented by scores from his brother, Robbie, and Nigel Higgins to leave a two-point deficit at the interval, 0-9 to 0-7.

Considering the holders' greater spread of firepower, it seem only a matter of time before they orchestrated an untouchable lead.

Then a strange yet marvellous twist changed the game's complexion. Higgins, who spurned an elementary goal-scoring opportunity just before the break, tacked on a point. This was followed by a great strike from replacement Trevor Hogan. Darren Nolan put Oulart-The-Ballagh back in front but the favourites were losing every break out around the middle.

Storey and Dunne went silent, so the Jacob brothers saw little clean ball for almost 20 minutes.

In 90 memorable seconds, Codd became the story of the final when he entered a Zen-like state of stick mastery that only a handful of players can attain.

It started with a point from distance, around 60 yards. He gathered the next break to post a score from over 70 yards out. His third score was near perfection as he unleashed the sliotar from inside the Rathnure half. Codd didn't even require a second glance when it left his hurl. He merely jogged back into position to prepare for the next burst in this symphony of sporting excellence.

But the Rathnure rhythm stalled when Robbie Codd struck a post. Almost jealous with the theft of his limelight, Mick Jacob reduced the lead to three with nine minutes remaining but the battle of Codd and Jacob was still only starting its crescendo.

Codd pointed before his brother, Robbie, atoned for the earlier miss, with a shot from under the main stand, to give Rathnure a five-point cushion and the taste of victory. It seemed so certain. It was at this moment the true mark of champions was imprinted on the game as Oulart-The-Ballagh began playing from memory.

Jacob charged into the Rathnure rearguard and drew a 21-yard free. With four minutes remaining a point may have sufficed but he found a chink in the red wall for a brilliant goal. Two-point game.

Codd had another long range chance but the magic touch deserted him. Jacob bashed over a free. One point game. Rathnure were defending like crazed men.

Rory Jacob picked up possession wide on the left, glanced at the posts before cutting the sliotar between the uprights.

There was still time for Codd to send a 100-yard free into the scoring zone but Rathnure players were in the square. Free out. Game over, until next Saturday that is. "Yeah, I though we were dead and buried with five minutes to go so I'm delighted to get a second chance," said Oulart-The-Ballagh manager Willie Sunderland.

OULART-THE-BALLAGH: P Dempsey; K Rossiter, D Morton, P Roche; D Stamp, L Dunne (capt), L Prendergast; A O'Leary, D Nolan (0-1); M Jacob (1-6, 1-5 frees), M Storey, D Mythen (0-2); R Jacob (0-3), D Redmond (0-1), W Whelan. Subs: F Cullen for O'Leary (half-time), B Kehoe for Nolan (49 mins), P Finn for Whelan, N Kirwan for Mythen (both 57 mins).

ST ANNE'S: D Flynn; S Somers, B O'Leary, A O'Connell; J O'Connor, M O'Leary, P Whiteley; P Codd (0-9, five frees), M Redmond; R Flynn, M Byrne (capt), R Codd (0-3); N Higgins (0-2), D Guiney, S O'Neill (0-1). Subs: T Hogan (0-1) for R Flynn (23 mins), A Codd for Guiney (36 mins).

Referee: S Whelan (St Martin's).