WEXFORD SFC FINAL

BY BRENDAN FURLONG

St Martin's 1-8 Fethard 0-5

St Martin’s blitzed Fethard to win an historic first ever Wexford senior football title in an excellent final at Wexford park yesterday.

The experience of their inter-county players inspired them through the 60 minutes, with Daithí Waters and Ciarán Lyng outstanding, while Daithi Hayes, Páidi Kelly, Willie Devereux and Ciaran Redmond gave tremendous displays throughout.

St Martin's never trailed in this game. After Lyng, who kicked over three magnificent long-range first-half points, and Chris Colfer (a free) had exchanged points, St Martin's assumed control powering into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.

Then Jamie Carty fired home a tremendous 20th minute goal which helped his side to a 1-6 to 0-1 interval lead.

St Martin's even dominated the opening ten minutes on the resumption into the gale-force wind. Points from Brian Berney and Waters extended their lead, before Fethard ended a 35-minute barren spell without a score when Darren Foley pointed. Fethard battled to the end with further points from Darren Foley, Colfer and John Tubritt. However, but for 17 wides and some desperate Fethard defending, St Martin's victory margin would have been a lot bigger.

ST MARTIN'S: T Hayes; W Devereux, K Price, M Maloney; C Frankis, D Hayes, P Kelly; P O'Connor, D Waters (0-1); B Berney (0-1), C Lyng (0-3), J Boggan; J Carty (1-0), R Devereux (0-2), C Redmond (0-1). Subs: E O'Byrne for O'Connor; R Murphy for Carty; D Byrne for Redmond; P Crotty for R Devereux.

FETHARD: W Doyle; S Donohoe, E Power, M Power; D Barden, G O'Grady, D Foley (0-1); M Roche, M Wallace; G Foley, C Colfer (0-3, 0-1 free), N Colfer; C Dwyer, J Tubritt (0-1), D Mullan. Subs: S Foley for N Colfer; A Swan for D Foley.

Referee: S O'Shea (Blackwater).