St Martin’s 1-22

St Anne’s 0-19

Ronan Fagan reports from Chadwicks Wexford Park

ST MARTIN’S healed the wounds of their 2022 Wexford SHC final loss by eclipsing neighbours St Anne’s in Sunday’s decider at Chadwicks Wexford Park.

And Barry O’Connor, home from his Australian Rules adventures Down Under, delivered the winning blow, with a 46th-minute goal to forge a 1-15 to 0-13 advantage just when St Anne’s were mounting a fight-back from a double-scores deficit.

A tepid first half saw Rory O’Connor and Darren Codd strike the opening points without reply for St Martin’s.

However, the maroon and whites were quelled. Diarmuid O’Keeffe was prominent at sweeper for the Anne’s as the Sky Blues swept into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes.

Captain Justin Moran sparked the transformation with a seventh-minute score, and after Cillian Byrne produced a ninth-minute equaliser, Kyle Kennedy pinged a couple of frees.

St Martin’s atoned for some poor finishing as a trio of Rory O’Connor frees — two earned by the inter-county star himself — tied matters for a second time after 24 minutes (0-5 each).

And, after an exchange of scores, Jake Firman struck St Martin’s back in front after 29 minutes, before Jack O’Connor had an injury-time free from distance sandwiched between Darren Codd’s second and third contributions for a 0-10 to 0-6 interval advantage.

Kyle Firman and Rory O’Connor (’65) had St Martin’s enjoying a double-scores 0-12 to 0-6 lead before their tenacious rivals bit back.

Indeed, the Anne’s closed to within 0-15 to 0-13 after 45 minutes as Liam Rochford inspired with a brace, while Liam Óg McGovern (two), substitute Darragh Furlong and free-taker Kennedy (two) also lifted the Rathangan men.

St Martin’s then dealt the decisive blow when Barry O’Connor scrambled home after his cousin, Rory, had put pressure on the ‘keeper as the St Anne’s number one had initially cut out a long delivery.

And while St Anne’s remained wholehearted, gunslinger Rory O’Connor, with four late additions, ensured the maroon and whites retrieved the Dr RJ Bowe Cup and headed to Kildare for a Leinster Club quarter-final against Naas on 17 November.

Scorers for St Martin’s: Rory O’Connor 0-11 (7 frees, 1 ’65), Darren Codd 0-3, Barry O’Connor 1-0, Joe Barrett, Jake Firman, Jack O’Connor 0-2 each, Kyle Firman, Ben Maddock 0-1 each

Scorers for St Anne’s: Kyle Kennedy 0-7 (7fs), Mark Furlong 0-4 (3fs), Liam Rochford 0-3, Liam Óg McGovern 0-2, Justin Moran, Cillian Byrne, Darragh Furlong 0-1 each

St Martin’s

1 Dylan Byrne

3 Paddy O’Connor
25 Conor Firman (capt.)
4 Philip Dempsey

2 Eoin O’Leary
7 Joe Barrett
5 Daithí Waters

8 David Codd
9 Jake Firman

12 Darren Codd
11 Jack O’Connor
15 Rory O’Connor

13 Jack Devereux
10 Barry O’Connor
14 Kyle Firman

Subs

17 Sam Audsley for Firman, temp. (10-12)
18 Conor Coleman for Devereux (39)
20 Ben Maddock for K. Firman (50)
6 Joe O’Connor for J. Firman (64)
17 Audsley for O’Leary (65).

St Anne’s

1 Andrew Kennedy

5 Liam Schokman
2 Tomás Cullen
4 Finn Ryan

7 Eoin Ryan
3 Kevin Breen
6 Páidí Doyle

12 Aidan Rochford
9 Diarmuid O’Keeffe

11 Justin Moran (capt.)
15 Liam Óg McGovern
10 Cillian Byrne

8 Liam Rochford
14 Kyle Kennedy
13 Andrew Moran

Subs

18 Darragh Furlong for Schokman (HT)
21 Mark Furlong for K. Kennedy (50)
22 Michael Fogarty for Byrne (54)

Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater)