Naomh Éanna second-half surge takes them to second Wexford title

Wexford SHC Final: Naomh Éanna 2-18 Oylegate-Glenbrien 2-12

Naomh Éanna helped to distance themselves from charges of underachievement when winning a second county title at Chadwick’s Wexford Park on Sunday afternoon. It was a first in five years and attained with a second-half surge that took them beyond the challenge of Oylegate-Glenbrien in front of 6,800 spectators.

They rode out a difficult first half and went in at half-time happy to be level at 1-8 each.

It was a win fashioned by some of their most prominent, intercounty players. Captain, Conor McDonald nearly managed to equal his entire championship haul with 1-4 from play after a previous yield of just 0-8.

Player of the Match, Charlie McGuckin – already a strong contender for Hurler of the Championship – scored four points from play at wing back and his energy and drive were also important at a time when his team were struggling to stay afloat in the opening stages.

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At the end with Oylegate-Glenbrien pushing for a goal he emerged from the thicket of hurls with the ball in his hand after Fergal Doran’s 65 had dropped hopefully into the square.

He played it up to Jack Cullen whose lofted shot was deemed to have crossed the bar by the time goalkeeper Aaron Dugan tapped it out and so sealed a six-point victory that was well deserved on a strong second-half showing.

Their opponents had crept up on the outside in the latter stages of the championship and arrived in a first final for 60 years with real momentum, having dumped the holders Ferns out along the way. Managed by Dessie Mythen, they were seen as having the potential to undo the Gorey-based favourites.

That’s the way they started. Neat build-up and well-chosen deliveries and some incisive counter-attacking gave them a five-point lead in the first half but as it turned out, too early to make a decisive difference.

They were given the boost of a goal at the start of both halves. Seamus Casey gave them the ideal start when he picked up a ball and ran through Naomh Éanna’s defence, swerving past Seán Doyle to give himself room for a shot which he drove to the net.

He added a point from a 65, followed by a lineball converted by Podge Doran and the underdogs led 1-2 to nil in the sixth minute. Naomh Éanna’s first score came two minutes later, a goal finished with aplomb by Pádraig Doyle after Trojan work by McDonald pulled the defence out of position.

From then on it was clear that the contest would not turn into a one-way street even though Oylegate-Glenbrien re-established a grip on the scoreboard but a strong second quarter from the Gorey club left it tied. Cathal Dunbar started to come into the match and after a half of haphazard shooting, the shots started to go over.

They were spared a further goal concession in the 20th minute when lively corner forward Peter Rowley flicked the ball past goalkeeper Jack Cushe and looked to have tapped it into the net only for Brendan Travers – a late replacement for Gary Molloy, who had been injured in the semi-final win over St Martin’s – to get a vital touch to clear off the line.

There had been speculation that Oylegate-Glenbrien might prefer playing against the wind and within a minute of the restart, Conor Heffernan’s long ball into Doran was taken and slammed to net for the best possible opening to the half.

From then on, however, they were outscored 1-10 to 0-4 and struggled to recover the verve of the first half.

McDonald’s virtuoso performance featured the transformative goal, a great catch from Jack Doran’s long ball and a powerful finish. That extended a tight, minimal margin into a four-point lead, 2-13 to 2-9.

Their position was hardly even threatened from then on.

The new champions won’t take on their Offaly counterparts for more than two months but manager James Quirke was determined afterwards that his team would improve on Wexford’s poor recent record in the provincial club championship.

NAOMH ÉANNA: Jack Cushe; Tom Stafford, Eoin Molloy, Cian Ó Tuama; Brendan Travers, Cian Molloy, Charlie McGuckin (0-4); Seán Doyle, Jack Doran; Cian Browne (0-1), Cathal Dunbar (0-2), Jack Cullen (0-5, four frees); Aodhán Doyle, Conor McDonald (capt) (1-4), Pádraig Doyle (1-2).

Subs: Seán Óg Whelan for Doran (55 mins), Eoin Conroy for Travers (58).

OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN: Aaron Duggan; Shane Reck, Ciarán Hourihane, Paudie Casey; Mike Kelly, Damien Reck, Mossy Cosgrave; Pa Cullen, Jack Reck (0-2); Joe Dunne (0-1), Séamus Casey (jt-capt) (1-7, five frees, two 65s), Fiachra Hourihane; Connor Heffernan, Podge Doran (1-2, two lineballs), Peter Rowley.

Subs: Jamie Reck for Hourihane (43 mins), Evan Kelly for Heffernan (53), Fergal Doran for Rowley (55).

Referee: Dan Crosby (Kilmore).