Wexford SHC Final/ Oulart-the-Ballagh 4-14 Buffers Alley 2-6: The worst fears of those neutrals who saw the Wexford hurling semi-finals came to pass in yesterday's Pettit's county final in Wexford Park, as Oulart cruised to victory against an outclassed Buffers Alley.
It was the winners' sixth title since taking their first 14 seasons ago but it was evident in the post-match celebrations that the club realise the next step - making an impact at provincial level - is long overdue.
For Buffers Alley, the progress of reaching a county final for the first time in 15 years will have to suffice for this year and they simply have to chalk yesterday down to experience.
Oulart's dominance ran throughout the field. It was most spectacularly in evidence in Rory Jacob's first-half display. He helped himself to seven points from play to give his side a firm grip on the match at the break.
From a variety of angles and locations he stroked over a succession of scores, mesmerising his opponents by drifting all over the pitch and making himself available for what - it should be acknowledged - were some excellent cross-field balls from his brother Michael and Stephen Doyle.
In defence Oulart were anchored by an outstanding display from Paul Roche at full back. Apart from one slip in the second half and a mysteriously needless free in the first he dominated everything that came his way.
Before the start Oulart were boosted by the availability of three important players whose participation had been in doubt because of injury: veteran Liam Dunne, captain Darren Stamp and corner forward Des Mythen all lined up for the start.
The opening quarter had promised a more competitive affair. But ominously for Buffers Alley they were failing to convert a litany of point-scoring chances.
By the 15th minute, however, the match was still nicely poised at 0-4 to 0-3. Then one breach and Oulart stormed through. Mythen, starting his first match of the season after a long-term injury and accordingly rusty in the early stages, raced through on to an un-cleared breaking ball and kicked it into the net.
A run of points from Rory Jacob extended the lead to six, 1-7 to 0-4 before Buffers Alley rallied thanks to a goal from Paul Doyle who was alert to the possibilities and tapped in after goalkeeper Gary O'Leary made a hash of a long-range free from Ciarán Kenny after 23 minutes. Suddenly Oulart's position, 1-7 to 1-4, looked bad value considering their superiority.
That scoreline would have been a distortion of the half's proceedings but with over two minutes left before the break Willie Doran had cut the gap again to three and the Alley looked capable of reaching the sanctuary of the dressingrooms with a manageable target. But the ceiling fell in during the short time remaining. Oulart rifled in 1-3 to leave their opponents with an altogether more formidable task in the second half.
In the 29th minute a long-range free caused havoc in the Alley defence and Mythen put a stop to the pinball attempts to clear by rifling the ball into the net. Nicky Kirwan and Darren Nolan added points to leave the match effectively dead and buried.
According to Oulart, manager Kevin Ryan - the former Mount Sion player - threatened them with hardship if they didn't win the second half as well.
That proved an all-too achievable task given that the opposition scored only twice after the break, a 54th-minute goal due reward for Willie Doran's persistence, whereas Oulart added a further two goals.
Rory Jacob didn't score after the break but he set up Kirwan's goal six minutes into the half, lofting in a ball for the corner forward, which was caught and dispatched a little too simply for the defence's ease of mind. The final score came from Stephen Doyle with four minutes left when he slid home the winners' fourth goal.
Liam Dunne has played on all of Oulart's title-winning senior teams and placed his longevity in some sort of context as well as explaining the doubt over his fitness.
"I'm 39 - I played against Buffers Alley in the '89 final and marked Tony Doran for a while. His son was playing out there today. I broke the finger and had an operation in Ardkeen last Tuesday week. During the week I saw Seán Boylan and he did wonders although I'll probably wake up tomorrow with no hand!"
Will he be fully fit for the Leinster campaign? "Look, I'd play in the morning if I had to."
OULART-THE-BALLAGH: G O'Leary; D Morton, P Roche, L Prendergast; D Stamp, K Rossiter, D Redmond; M Jacob (0-2), D Nolan (0-2); L Dunne, S Doyle (1-0), R Jacob (0-7); N Kirwan (1-2, points frees), W Whelan, D Mythen (2-0). Subs: P Redmond (0-1)for Mythen (37 mins), F Cullen for Dunne (50 mins), B Kehoe for Stamp (51 mins), G Sinnott for Whelan (60 mins).
BUFFERS ALLEY: S Kavanagh; Bobby Kenny, Barry Kenny, R Kirwan; S Redmond, M Sinnott, C Kenny (0-2, one 65 and free); K Harney, P Reidy; P Doran (0-1, free), W Doran (1-2), C Gahan; D Harney, K Burke, P Doyle (1-1). Subs: S Grannell for Gahan (half-time). S Óg Whelan for Harney (36 mins), P Kenny for Doyle (41 mins), J Hughes for Sinnott (48 mins).
Referee: D Donovan(Volunteers).
