Leinster Club SHC final: St Martin’s 0-24 Ballyhale Shamrocks 2-17
The force was with them. St Martin’s, in their and Wexford’s first provincial club final in 10 years, faced down the elite challenge of Ballyhale and with seemingly inevitable defeat their lot, as the Kilkenny champions edged ahead in the last minute, pulled out two scores in the last minute of extra time.
With the sides level in the 63rd minute after Rory O’Connor had pointed a free, replacement Ben Stafford, under the empty expanse of the Cusack stand, 60 metres out, unhesitatingly hit the winning point as the seconds drained away.
Tough on Ballyhale, who relived the lost the All-Ireland final four seasons ago when a last-minute goal by Ballygunner’s Harry Ruddle tilted the balance.
If the ideal instructions for defeating aristocrats like the Kilkenny champions is to take the lead when time is nearly up, Martin’s may have followed the manual but it was far, far more difficult than that.
RM Block
They got ahead on the scoreboard just before half-time and stayed ahead for nearly the remainder of the match, occasionally being pulled back level and after Niall Shortall’s 40th minute goal briefly regained the lead for Ballyhale, having to come from behind.
But in general they fought to win this Leinster final, not merely to stay in touch and hope for late deliverance.
Their opponents’ DNA pulses with instinct that wins big matches like this. They were the ones staying on Martin’s shoulder and they found the scores to keep in touch. Then, on the hour, Richie Reid swept the ball over the bar from around 65 metres to put the favourites 2-17 to 0-22 ahead.
There were so many heroes on the team, all the more so, as they started uncertainly.
The O’Connors played a big part, as they have had to all season. Jack shot 0-6 from play and varied points around the field. Rory delivered another skip full of scores from placed balls and play, 0-12, and Barry showed tirelessly for high ball and battled mightily with Joey Holden.
Maybe understandably, Martin’s started nervously. Although they attacked from the throw-in, their finishing was anxious. Rory O’Connor, who has posted some big totals to date, was wide with a 65 and Michael Coleman swept a chance the same way.
By way of contrast, the practised Kilkenny men nailed their first opportunity when the ageless TJ Reid potted a free from halfway. It drew a response and Barry O’Connor got the Wexford champions up and running.
What followed appeared to confirm the worst fears of the underdogs. They were hesitant at the ball and got in each other’s way, as when Rory O’Connor and Aaron Maddock confused a passing sequence under the Cusack.
A lineball was turned over and Richie Reid, revelling in the solitude of the sweeper role banged his shot over from about 80 metres.
Their defenders were too easily brushed aside even when outnumbering the opposition forwards. Eoin Cody was lording it in the air and in the eighth minute he was unleashed inside the defence. His shot wasn’t venomous but goalkeeper Callum Quirke couldn’t do anything to keep it out: 1-4 to 0-2.
You could sense the watershed moment. Lose heart and Martin’s might as well have gone back down the M11 there and then. To their credit, they sniped a couple of points, a Rory O’Connor free and a well taken shot from the left by Coleman.
The match tightened. Martin’s backs began to get to grips with the Ballyhale forwards, who still looked capable of running riot but crucially, now there was resistance. The outsiders finished the half so purposefully that they reeled off four unanswered points – all from Rory O’Connor frees, as their opponents’ defence came under significant pressure – to lead by 0-11 to 1-7.
Battle was joined after half-time, as Martin’s piled on the pressure with the first three scores from Rory and Jack O’Connor and Darren Codd, a busy presence in attack.
The match swayed one way and then another. Shortall’s goal, made by Eoin Cody’s run, put Ballyhale back in front, 0-15 to 2-10, creating another massive pressure point for any underdogs. Back they came, snarling!
Jack O’Connor worked a move from a lineball to equalise, Coleman clipped another fine score from his corner and Rory O’Connor pulled the trigger on yet another free.
So it went, down the line. Three times, Ballyhale pulled level; three times the Martin’s got the next point – until Shortall and Richie Reid disrupted the process. Surely, that was it. Well done to the boys of Wexford for putting up such a fight.
But they hadn’t come this far to go home empty handed after an outstanding match.
ST MARTIN’S: C Quirke; E O’Leary, C Firman (capt.), P Dempsey; D O’Leary, J Barrett (0-1), D Waters; David Codd, A Maddock; Darren Codd (0-2), J O’Connor (0-6), J Firman; M Coleman (0-2), B O’Connor (0-1), R O’Connor (0-12, 9f).
Subs: B Maddock for Coleman (50 mins), B Stafford for B Maddock (59 mins).
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: Dean Mason; K Corcoran, J Holden, Dara Mason (0-1); E Kenneally, R Reid (0-2), D Corcoran; E Shefflin (0-1), R Corcoran; P Mullen (0-1), E Cody (1-2), TJ Reid (0-6, 5f); B Cody (0-2), N Shortall (1-2), L Barron.
Subs: D Aylward for R Corcoran (51 mins), J Fitzpatrick for R Corcoran (57 mins), C Phelan for Shefflin (61 mins).
Referee: A Coyne (Westmeath)
