PAUL MURPHY grabbed a wonderful 60th-minute goal to hand his side a sensational victory over warm favourites A.U.L. in this excellent Oscar Traynor Trophy quarter-final clash at the New Ross club grounds on Saturday afternoon last. Although the football was free-flowing with both sides enjoying some excellent passages of play, it was always going to be a single strike that would decide which side would go through to a semi-final with the Defence Forces.

And at the end of 90 torrid minutes, the large home support went home happy, seeing their side march on into the last four which will be a huge game for the local league.

The Wexford boys were fired up for this game, but to break the deadlock it was always going to take something special. It was fitting that young Murphy, one of the best players on the pitch with his silken touches, ball control and excellent passes, pounced for that dramatic strike which was a quality finish. Small wonder that so much was thought of him before he returned home from Ipswich Town.

A.U.L. went into this quarter-final carrying the favourite's tag. One could see why as they played some stylish football, but they lacked the battling qualities of the home side and, apart from one first-half effort, they only threatened the back four as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser with incessant pressure during the closing five minutes.

The visitors played all the football during the opening 15 minutes, but their management was left in despair on the sideline as they failed to push home their advantage. Enjoying an amount of possession, they had effort from Joseph Flood which failed to find the target during this spell.

It was to be one of those days for the visitors as Flood's 20th-minute effort thundered back off the crossbar with 'keeper Lee Walker well beaten. With Paul Murphy threatening with some excellent football, there was no one to get on the end of some excellent low crosses. Michael Grangel did come close on a couple of occasions but was unable to trouble 'keeper Lee Murphy, whose only real save came from a 30th-minute Murphy effort.

Wexford went to the dressing-room no doubt happy to have stalled the A.U.L. challenge. It may have been 0-0 at the break, but the home side re-emerged with greater purpose, gaining control in the second period as they pushed the visitors back into a defensive situation.

As the game progressed Wexford's dominance became more evident, with Murphy firing in a low leftfooted shot that was capably dealt with by 'keeper Murphy, while Eugene O'Brien also forced a fine save out before providing an excellent cross that Grangel headed over the top.

You could sense desperation creeping into the A.U.L. game as they were pinned back on defence. With Wexford starting to spray the ball around with confidence, they broke the deadlock in the 60th minute.

Grangel controlled a long ball before laying off to Murphy who showed a superb first touch and fired a leftfooted shot into the corner of the net from 20 metres, giving the home side a deserved lead. With supreme calmnes,s Murphy struck what was to prove the winner.

A.U.L. now began to show more urgency, with Lee Walker pulling off a superb save from a Robert Keely header, while at the opposite end Seán Culleton forceda fine save out of Murphy seven minutes from the end.

The Wexford back four, in which both Hawkins and Howlin were superb, were proving a stumbling block as A.U.L. laid siege to the home side's goal during the closing five minutes, but they were unable to create a chance during this spell as Wexford held out.

- BRENDAN FURLONG In New Ross