Wexford SFC Final: Kilanerin win first title since 2008

Wexford SFC Final

Kilanerin 1-15 St. Martin’s 0-12

By Ronan Fagan at Chadwicks Wexford Park

Kilanerin stormed to their first Wexford SFC title since 2008 after the 2018 runners-up were triggered by a 52nd minute goal from substitute Vincent Higgins to storm past St. Martin’s.

St. Martin’s, the 2013 champions, bounced back impressively from having lost their Wexford and Leinster Club Senior hurling crowns a week earlier to set the pave by 0-7 to 0-5 after 41 minutes.

But Kilanerin responded in spectacular fashion with three two-pointers between the 43rd and 47th minutes, before Higgins sank the decisive blow to consolidate the charge by Pádraig Murphy’s charges to their eighth outright domestic success.

Kilanerin dominated from the opening quarter to generate a 0-4 to no-score advantage after sixteen minutes.

And it could have been so much better but for Eoin Hughes having his fourteenth minute goaling effort parried over from point-blank range by St. Martin’s ‘keeper Ryan Sinnott for Kilanerin’s third score.

Cian Hughes and cousin Eoin Hughes accounted for the red and whites’ opening scores inside five minutes, and after the latter’s near goal, Dean O’Toole made it four points without reply when positing a 16th minute free.

St. Martin’s had been struggling to make a real impression, but they almost opened their account in style when the wily Daithí Waters was left with an open goal.

A pointing effort from the right wing by Diarmuid O’Leary took a sharp descent towards the left upright, where Waters gathered, only to flash over the crossbar with the net at his mercy (0-4 to 0-1).

Jake Firman had it back to 4-2 before it was the turn of the St. Martin’s net to enjoy a massive let off, when Niall Hughes’ palmed finish was diverted for a fruitless ’45 by the Martin’s custodian, Sinnott, on twenty minutes.

Kilanerin moved 0-5 to 0-2 clear nevertheless as defender Pádraig Jones profited off a Tom Mordaunt assist.

St. Martin’s were breathing right down their necks at half-time having pulled level on 0-5 apiece after Luke Kavanagh’s 29th minute over was outclassed by recent Australian Rules player Barry O’Connor booming an injury-time two-pointer from a Ben Maddock set up.

Jake Firman and Barry O’Connor each slotted early second-half frees as St. Martin’s maintained the momentum shift to gain their first taste of the lead after 39 minutes (0-7 to 0-5).

However, that early surge was eclipsed by a burst of three orange-flags between the 43rd and 47th minutes from Kilanerin as they turned the tables by 0-11 to 0-7 courtesy of brothers Seán and Niall Hughes together with cousin Páraic.

And Kilanerin were almost in for a goal only for an eleventh-hour intervention by St. Martin’s captain Sam Audsley to deny Tom Mordaunt after a neat set up by substitute Seán Forde.

Boosted by that massive let off, St. Martin’s were fired back into contention as Jake Firman slotted a two-pointer and Barry O’Connor a free to narrow the margin to 0-11 to 0-10 after 51 minutes.

But Kilanerin then took complete control of the scoreboard when substitute Vincent Higgins goaled when ghosting inside onto a pass from wing-back Micheál McGonigle after neat work with Niall Hughes in the 52nd minute (1-11 to 0-10).

The red and white ribbons were added to the Seamus Keevans Cup with a glorious closing burst of points from Páraic Hughes, Dean O’Toole (free), Cian Hughes and Seán Forde.

Scorers for Kilanerin: Páraic Hughes 0-3 (1tp), Vincent Higgins 1-0, Cian Hughes, Eoin Hughes, Dean O’Toole (2 frees), Seán Hughes (1 tp), Niall Hughes (1 tp) 0-2 each, Pádraig Jones, Seán Forde (free) 0-1 each

Scorers for St. Martin’s: Barry O’Connor 0-5 (1tp, 2 frees), Jake Firman 0-3 (1 tp), Daithí Waters, Luke Kavanagh, Jake Firman (free), Ben Maddock 0-1 each

Kilanerin: Conor Hughes; Andrew Smyth, Conor Jones, Kian Steadmond; Micheál McGonigle, Conor Devitt, Pádraig Jones; Tom Mordaunt, Mikey Hughes; Eoin Hughes, Páraic Hughes, Niall Hughes; Dean O’Toole, Conor Kinsella, Cian Hughes.

Subs: Darragh Forde for M. Hughes (HT), Seán Hughes for Forde, inj. (34), Seán Forde for Kinsella (44), Vincent Higgins for Devitt (50).

St. Martin’s: Ryan Sinnott; Eoin O’Leary, Michael Codd, Shane Walsh; Sam Audsley, Diarmuid O’Leary, Philip Dempsey; Conor Firman, Barry O’Connor; Joe Barrett, Ben Maddock, Luke Kavanagh; Kyle Firman, Daithí Waters, Jake Firman.

Subs: Darren Codd for C. Firman (49), Oisín Waters for K. Firman (57), Jamie Berry for M. Codd (60), Oscar Barry for Kavanagh (60).

Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Starlights).