Fethard in final
Wednesday February 10 2010
HOME TEAM Fethard were well deserving of their fourpoint win following a very well-contested game between two determined sides that gave it everything in this O'Loughlin Cup semi-final on Sunday last.
Similar to the finish, four points also separated the teams at the interval (1-5 to 0-4 in Fethard's favour), but the opposition did well to draw level with a couple of goals in quick succession midway through the second period and at that stage on 2-5 each it was anyone's game.
Roving full-forward Gareth Foley was a constant threat to the Fintan's/Our Lady's Island rearguard, and he scored the first-half Fethard goal in the eighth minute, having exchanged an earlier point with arguably the opposition's best player, Cathal O'Brien.
Foley and John Tubritt shared the winners' first-half points tally, while Colm Kinsella, Eoin Wright and Niall Moore pointed in reply before the break.
Gareth Foley had the ball in the net again inside the first minute of the second-half having received a pass from Andrew Whelan, and only for a few super saves by James Molloy between the St. Fintan's-Our Lady's Island posts, Fethard would surely have been out of sight. His stops included one from a well-taken penalty by John Tubritt at the expense of a fruitless '45.
The Wexford District side were also awarded a penalty ten minutes into the second-half from which Niall Moore scored their first goal. Just one minute later the ball was back in the Fethard net again when Shane Sinnott found himself in the right place at the right time following a good save of Tomás Power's initial attempt.
Cathal O'Brien levelled the scores on 2-5 each, but Fethard finished strongly as they outpointed their opponents by five to one inside the last twelve minutes.
