St Mary’s produce stunning late surge to topple Sarsfields in minor semi

FBD Insurance County Minor A Hurling Championship Semi-Final

St Mary’s 2-20

Thurles Sarsfields 1-20

Seven points down with twenty minutes to play, and with defeat staring them in the face, St Mary’s produced a thrilling finishing flourish to topple a fancied Thurles Sarsfields side in the FBD Insurance County Minor Hurling A semi-final at Dundrum on Saturday.

Going into the third quarter, St Mary’s chances of a spot in the final looked slim as they played second fiddle to a Sarsfields side which had annexed under-seventeen honours last year and who had romped comfortably through the championship to this point.

In that closing period, however, St Mary’s outscored their rivals 0-11 to 0-1, a blitz which left Sarsfields floundering in their efforts to stem a tide that simply engulfed them.

Even at the death, Sarsfields, two points down, were awarded a penalty when Aaron Darmody was fouled, but St Mary’s goalie Nathan Wynne was equal to Euan Murray’s effort.

Sarsfields still had time for another chance of a winning goal but, with goalkeeper Wynne off his line and the net unguarded, two Thurles forwards got in each other’s way, squirting the ball wide. The puck-out saw Clonmel’s Harry Lawlor win possession to round off a great personal performance with his thirteenth point of the afternoon.

It was a memorable win for St Mary’s, who had played second fiddle to the Thurles lads for forty minutes. Sarsfields, with Kieran Rossiter, Euan Murray and Ciaran O’Mahoney showing the way, were picking off their points confidently, but two goals kept St Mary’s in the frame. Sars were 0-11 to 0-6 ahead after twenty-two minutes when Harry Lawlor set up Conor Landers for a St Mary’s goal.

Sarsfields recovered with points from Kieran Rossiter (2) and Eoin Webb but, on the stroke of half-time, lapsed again, a defensive mishap presenting Ben Fuller with the opportunity to register St Mary’s second goal.

At half-time, Sarsfields led 0-14 to 2-7, the fourteen scores to nine probably a more accurate reflection of the first half’s action. Ten minutes into the second half they were 1-19 to 2-9 ahead, Kieran Rossiter getting the Thurles goal off a fine solo effort.

At that stage a Thurles win looked inevitable but, after Ben Fuller pointed for St Mary’s, Harry Lawlor hit four points on the trot from frees, followed by another from Dara Maher and Harry Lawlor again to level 2-16 to 1-19 with five minutes to go.

Eight unanswered points in fifteen minutes, it was a magnificent comeback that left Sarsfields in disarray. Sub Emmet Cagney signalled his arrival with the leading point for St Mary’s, followed by another brace from Lawlor to put the Clonmel boys in a commanding position, three points up with the game going into injury time.

Eoin Webb’s point for Sarsfields set the scene for the thrilling climax, Sarsfields spurning two chances of a winning goal before Harry Lawlor had the last say with St Mary’s twentieth point of the day. Factor in St Mary’s shooting eleven second-half wides and it underlines the dominance of St Mary’s in those breathtaking closing stages.

St Mary’s followers poured onto the field at the final whistle to salute their heroes, and deservedly so.

They had shown great composure in the manner in which they stuck to their guns when things were going against them and then had the quality to turn the game around when the breaks started to come their way.

Team captain Conor Landers and Harry Lawlor were the lads who did most to turn the tide, but Dylan Condon, Ciaran Kenny, Enda Condon and goalie Nathan Wynne also played big parts.

Sarsfields’ late slump was disappointing and inexplicable, but even allowing for that, they had the chances to go through. They looked the better side for so long but, when the pressure came on, they faltered and can have no complaint about the outcome.

Senior players Kieran Rossiter and Euan Murray spearheaded their charge for the final, with Ciaran O’Mahoney, Charlie Lawlor, Bobby O’Dowd, Darragh Cornally and the accurate Eoin Webb also doing their bit.

Scorers: St Mary’s: Harry Lawlor (0-13, 0-12f), Conor Landers 1-4, Ben Fuller 1-1, Dara Maher, Emmett Cagney 0-1 each.

Thurles Sarsfields: Kieran Rossiter 1-6, Eoin Webb (0-5, 0-4f), Charlie Lawlor 0-3, Aaron Darmody, Euan Murray, Darragh O’Dwyer all 0-2 each.

St Mary’s: Nathan Wynne; Cian O’Mahoney, Freddie Baker, Sean Trehy; Daniel Charles, Enda Condon, Cian Mahadevaiah; Dylan Condon, Ciaran Kenny; Kayden Cloona, Dara Beckett, Harry Lawlor; Ben Fuller, Conor Landers, Dara Maher.

Subs used: Donal O’Callaghan for Beckett; Emmett Cagney for Cloona.

Thurles Sarsfields: James Verling; Bobby O’Dowd, Oran Fogarty, Jakub Magalinski; Andy Rossiter, Darragh Cornally, Ciaran O’Mahoney; Euan Murray, Pierce Cullen; Charlie Lawlor, Kieran Rossiter, David Ayilaran; Darragh O’Dwyer, Aaron Darmody, Eoin Webb.

Subs used: Niall Gleeson for O’Dowd; Cillian Ryan for Ayilaran; Liam Burke for A Rossiter.

Referee: Anthony Owens (Solohead)