Sean Cheasty secures first hurling county title for Fenor

Saturday October 10, 2015 is a day that will long live in the memories of the people of Fenor and the name of Sean Cheasty will be long remembered as well as this was the day that the club won its first Junior Hurling County Final and Sean Cheasty was the player that struck the winning score with the last attack of the game.

Many were making Saint Mary’s the favourites to continue on from Ballysaggart and Modeligo in the last two years and to win the county final and go on to have a good run in the Munster Championship, but they were up against an experienced Fenor side that were not getting the credit they deserved from some.

They had appeared in something like eight of the last fifteen county finals and were an experienced outfit, some involved having experience of winning a Junior County Football Final with Kill in 2014.

It was Saint Mary’s that had the better start to this game.

Mike Kearns opened the scoring in the first minute and his older brother Eoin a Dr Harty Cup winner with Colaiste na Déise in 2012 when be played between the posts, followed up with a second point for the Western Champions five minutes later.

Saint Mary’s however failed to build on their good start and Fenor came back with a brace of points of their own in a one minute spell, the first from Conor Rockett on nine minutes and then from Ben Gallagher a minute later from a free.

One incident can often turn a game and so it proved in this game. With the bit between their teeth Fenor hit the only goal of the game on thirteen minutes. They won a sideline at the stand side of the field playing into the Keane’s Road end of the ground. Ben Gallagher came across to take it and with the wind at his back his effort from about fifty-five metres deceived everyone and went all the way to the Saint Mary’s net to give Fenor a 1-2 to 0-2 lead.

The two free takers on both sides Eoin Kearns and Ben Gallagher followed up with points for their respective sides on nineteen and twenty minutes to keep three between the sides, and the same two players followed up with scores again from frees on twenty-two and twenty-seven minutes to keep Ben Gallagher’s goal between the sides with three minutes of the half remaining.

Saint Mary’s looked as if they had given themselves a good chance heading into the second half when they would have the wind at their backs when Eoin Kearns and Jason Sheehan put over points for the Western Champions but with the last attack of the half Ben Gallagher gave his side a 1-5 to 0-6 advantage on the score board as the sides headed to the dressing rooms when he converted another free.

Saint Mary’s with the wind now at their backs came out and as they did in the opening half hit the first two scores of the half through Eoin Kearns and Kevin Sheehan to draw level within three minutes of the restart.

Scores in this game were hard won and there were only three scores in the remainder of the third quarter.

Ciarán Kirwan pointed on forty one minutes and Conor Rockett followed up with his second of the afternoon two minutes later, but Eoin Kearns pulled a point back for Saint Mary’s from a free on forty-four minutes to leave his side trailing 1-7 to 0-9.

Saint Mary’s in the final quarter made changes as they called for youth and experience from their bench as Ronan Gleeson and Aidan Fitzpatrick went on for David Whelan and Kieran Barron and it looked as if it was going to make a bit of a difference.

Kevin Sheehan drew the side’s level for the third time on forty-six minutes but Ciarán Kirwan sent Fenor back in front with ten minutes of the game remaining.

Eoin Kearns and Tadhg Campbell hit over points before Ciarán Kirwan put Fenor two in front with five minutes of the hour to play.

Saint Mary’s enjoyed a short purple patch in the final five minutes of normal time as Eoin Kearns, Aidan Fitzpatrick and Kevin Sheehan put over three points in a row to give the Western Champions appearing in their first hurling county final since they beat Ballydurn to win the Junior Final back in 1989 at the same venue, a 0-14 to 1-10 advantage with two minutes of the game to play and as many added minutes to play for stoppages.

However, Fenor refused to give up and were rewarded for their efforts as Ben Gallagher equalised two minutes into stoppage time. The full time whistle which was expected to be blown after the restart did not happen and when Fenor got control of the ball through Sean Cheasty who had come on as a sub at the break for William Cullinane there was only one place he wanted to put the ball and he did not disappoint the large Fenor support inside the ground.

The full time whistle did come on the restart this time. It was heartbreak for Saint Mary’s who looked to be going to win a third junior hurling county final on the hour mark, but it was a day of great joy for Fenor.

For many years in the Munster Intermediate and Junior Club Championships, the record of Waterford clubs taking part was far from perfect.

Ballysaggart and Modeligo in recent years have done a lot to improve Waterford’s record in the competition, and Fenor now will be hoping to follow on from the last two winners.

They have a month to prepare for this game where they will play the winners of the quarter final between sides from Tipperary and Clare, neither of whom are the county champions in their respective counties.

Ballylooby/Castlegrace from South Tipperary with be the Premier Counties representatives in Munster this year after two second string sides from Roscrea and Clonoulty-Rossmore reached next weeks county final while in Clare Clonlara and Sixmilebridge reached the junior final last weekend, a game won 1-10 to 0-12 by Clonlara and one that is a repeat of this weekends senior decider in the Banner County. In the Clare semi finals Eire Óg Ennis and Ennistymon were the beaten sides.

Fenor: Kieran Dunphy; Fergal Whelan, Donal Kelly, Luke Middleton; Peter Kelly, Jim Halley, John Flynn; Anthony Kiely, Niall Hennessy; William Cullinane, Ciaran Kirwan, Ben Gallagher; Tadhg Campbell, Conor Rockett, Mickey Nicholls. Subs: Sean Cheasty for William Cullinane (HT), Anthony Whelan for Peter Kelly (42).

Scorers: Ben Gallagher 1-5 (1-0sl, 0-5 f), Ciaran Kirwan 0-3, Conor Rockett 0-2, Tadhg Campbell, Sean Cheasty 0-1 each.

Saint Marys: J.P. Fitzpatrick; Tom Tobin, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jack Power; Dermot Tobin, Denis Coffey, John Ahearne; Kevin Sheehan, Owen Barron; David Whelan, JJ Coffey, Mike Kearns; Jason Sheehan, Eoin Kearns, Kieran Barron. Subs: Ronan Gleeson for David Whelan (46), Aidan Fitzpatrick for Kieran Barron (48).

Scorers: Eoin Kearns 0-8 (8f), Kevin Sheehan 0-3, Mike Kearns, Jason Sheehan, Aidan Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.

Referee: Colin Cunningham (Tallow)