Leinster Schools Senior Hurling ‘B’ championship

Enniscorthy CBS.............................2-18
Wexford CBS.................................2-12
A stunning final ten minutes sealed the two points on offer for Enniscorthy CBS last Friday in the first round of the Leinster Schools Senior Hurling ‘B’ championship in Bellefield.
The game was finely poised as it entered the 50^th minute as Wexford CBS held a slender two point lead (1-12 to 2-7) but the home side went up a gear while their opponents stalled and as a result the Enniscorthy students hit eleven points in a row to ease home.

The sides were level at half-time (1-4 to 0-7) and on many occasions throughout but it was in the final ten minutes that the winners showed their experience and craft to engineer the victory.
The Wexford lads were ahead by 0-2 to 0-1 after five minutes thanks to two converted Conor Coleman frees with Conal Flood replying for Enniscorthy CBS. The Wexford students had more possession in the opening half but found it quite difficult to get scores through poor decision making and sloppy wides.

They did however open up a 0-6 to 0-3 lead after 20 minutes but a fine goal by Seamus Casey as he ghosted in behind the defence put Enniscorthy CBS back in the game against the run of play.

Wexford CBS thundered into the second half and grabbed an early 1-1 through Conor Coleman and looked set to build a platform for victory with a 1-8 to 1-4 lead.

However, Robert Byrne availed of a defensive lapse to find the net for the home side and this spiced up proceedings. Both sides exchanged points through Conor Coleman and Stephen Kearney (Wexford CBS) and Paul Larrissey and Conal Flood (Enniscorthy CBS).

Entering the final ten minutes the game was finely poised at 1-12 to 2-7 but Enniscorthy CBS seized control of the game all over the field and rattled off eleven points in a row mainly through Seamus Casey’s frees and Conal Flood - who was picking up loose ball in midfield and surging forward to score at will.

Jack Murphy lashed home a goal in injury time for the Boker boys but it was a disappointing end to the game but also a harsh lesson for Wexford CBS who were very competitive for fifty minutes in their first game at this level for a considerable time.

Enniscorthy CBS: Diarmuid Byrne (Monageer-Boolavogue); Peter Breen (Monageer-Boolavogue), Ronan Gahan (Shamrocks), Conor Lawless (Oulart-The Ballagh); Damien Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Paul Larrissey (Crossabeg-Ballymurn, 0-2), Kieran Lambert (Oylegate-Glenbrien); Ciaran Hourihane (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Conal Flood (Cloughbawn, 0-5); Patrick Cullen (Crossabeg-Ballymurn), Robert Byrne (Crossabeg-Ballymurn, 1-0), Owen Dempsey (Buffers Alley, 0-2); Diarmuid Fenlon (Monageer-Boolavogue), Murtha Doyle (Oulart-The Ballagh, 0-2), Seamus Casey (Oylegate-Glenbrien, 1-7, 0-4 frees, 0-1 sl).

Wexford CBS: Jack O’Leary (Volunteers); Padraig Rossiter (St. Martin’s), John Hamilton (St. Martin’s), Daniel Lynch (Faythe Harriers); Darragh Rossiter (St. Martin’s), Joe Redmond (Shelmaliers, Capt.), Mikey Coleman (St. Martin’s); Nicky Lawlor (Faythe Harriers), Ciaran Kirwan (Faythe Harriers, 0-1); Rob Donnelly (Buffers Alley, 0-1), Conor Fenlon (Glynn-Barntown), Jack Murphy (Faythe Harriers, 1-0); Stephen Kearney (Faythe Harriers, 0-2), Liam Rockett (Shelmaliers), Conor Coleman (St. Martin’s, 1-8 0-5 frees).
Subs: Kevin Corrigan (Blackwater) for P. Rossiter, Cormac Byrne (Faythe Harriers) for D. Rossiter.

Ref: John Bennett