Leinster Schools Senior Hurling ‘C’ semi-final

Wexford CBS............................2-7
Scoil Mhuire (Clane)..................0-7

A superb defensive performance topped up with two razor sharp goals from Joe Coleman propelled the senior hurlers of Wexford CBS into the Leinster SHC ‘C’ final where they will meet St. Colmcille’s of Dublin on Saturday March 1^st.
This was a teak tough semi-final encounter against the current North Leinster champions and reigning Leinster champions Scoil Mhuire (Clane) who threw everything at the Wexford lads but just couldn’t find a way through to get the goals they needed.
The match was played at Eire Og GAA club in Carlow in incredibly bitter weather conditions. The icy wind was accompanied by snow for most of the first half when it was the Wexford students who held the advantage of the wind.

Joe Coleman opened his account on two minutes when he converted a free following a foul on Stephen Kearney and Coleman was in for his first goal shortly afterwards when he nipped around his man and neatly tapped the ball to the net.

Scoil Mhuire hit back with a nice point from play but Coleman had one of his own before he split the posts with a 65. At the quarter-hour mark it was 1-4 to 0-1 but the Clane students responded with two more points to eat into the lead that CBS had built up.
CBS were rocked when influential midfielder Sean Stafford picked up an elbow injury in the 16^th minute which severely curtailed his involvement.

The Wexford forwards earned a vital free due to sheer hard work by forcing a Kildare defender to overcarry possession and Joe Coleman obliged with the point. Eoin Roche popped up with another crucial point after 24 minutes and moments later Sean Stafford was fouled for Coleman to get his sixth point of the half.

Scoil Mhuire converted a free with the last puck of the half to leave CBS with an advantage of 1-7 to 0-4.

The next score was going to be important and it fell to the impressive Joe Coleman (now at midfield) to race through and ram the ball past the Scoil Mhuire keeper and give his teammates a huge tonic.

The Clane students seemed stunned by this goal and it took them some time to get back into the game - with the wind at their backs.

CBS failed to score again and it was the defence spearheaded by Evan Dunbar, Nicky Lawlor and Ciaran Kirwan who rolled up their sleeves along with captain Jamie McDonnell to repel their opponents. They fought their way out of countless Clane attacks and such was the stinginess of the defence that all they conceded in the second half was three points from frees.
Wexford CBS: Brad Cohen (St. Martin’s); John Hamilton (St. Martin’s), Evan Dunbar (St. Martin’s), Daniel Lynch (Faythe Harriers); Joe Redmond (Shelmaliers), Ciaran Kirwan (Faythe Harriers), Nicky Lawlor (Faythe Harriers); Jamie McDonnell (Faythe Harriers Capt.), Sean Stafford (St. Martin’s); Rob Donnelly (Buffers Alley), Eoin Roche (Faythe Harriers 0-1), Ian Moran (Glynn-Barntown); Joe McBride (Volunteers), Joe Coleman (St. Martin’s 2-6, 4 frees, 1 ’65), Stephen Kearney (Faythe Harriers).

Subs: Mikey Coleman (St. Martin’s) for Moran; Dylan Hynes (Clonard) for Roche inj., John Forde (Shelmaliers) for Stafford inj.,