Treaty triumph amid late drama

THEY are recognised nowadays as hurling counties foremost, but in 1887 Limerick won the first football All-Ireland title (club side Commercials) while in 1918 Wexford claimed the first four-in-a-row.

For Limerick especially, this game will surely bring back echoes of those heady beginnings.

Not since 1896, when they won their second and last All-Ireland title, have they won three championship matches in one season.

Now that feat has been achieved, the Shannonsiders again are sharing the glorified air of gaelic football’s elite.

The pity is that such a fantastic game ended as it did, yet another last-minute winning score full of controversy.

Was Ian Ryan’s late injury-time free really between the posts, as ruled by referee Derek Fahy, or was it wide, as signalled by the umpire who had been standing under that post?

Certainly Wexford full-back Brian Mullane was in no doubt. “I honestly thought it was wide, or at best it was over the post, but in a game as tight as this and as big as this if there is a doubt I think it has to be given as a wide, and extra-time played. I think the referee made an outrageous call.

“At the end of the game you can’t give that call, that’s ridiculous. The umpire standing at the post gave it wide, and the referee was standing near where I was. He couldn’t have seen it. The fairest thing would have been extra-time.”

It would, and it’s doubtful that any of the Limerick supporters in a very loud and appreciative crowd of 3,700 would have argued had that occurred. And yet, shrouded and all in controversy as it was, this is no more than a Limerick side which itself has suffered more than its fair share of hard knocks from poor officiating calls over the years, deserves.

Fact is, refereeing decisions aside (and in a very poor display by Mr Fahy), Limerick went out and won this game, and ultimately Wexford really have only themselves to blame for their loss.

With only seven minutes to go in what had already been an energy-sapping game on a humid evening in Portlaoise, Limerick — two points behind — had outstanding midfielder Thomas Lee red-carded for an off-the-ball offence.

Four minutes later that deficit became three as Wexford’s blonde bombshell Ben Brosnan blasted over a free from nearly 45m and the game was there for Wexford to win, had they the wherewithal.

Bluntly, they hadn’t.

In the four minutes of signalled injury-time, and even though they must already have been drained from their earlier efforts, Limerick again lifted their game. The game was tied with a goal from sub Eoghan O’Connor following good work by James Kelly. Then came that free won by Ryan himself which secured the controversial win.

Hats off to Limerick then, and even the Mullane, heart-broken as he was, gave them due credit: “It was a fantastic contest, end to end, must have been a great spectacle for the neutral. From the Wexford point of view I thought we had a few dodgy decisions, a few soft frees, but that’s not to take from Limerick, they took their chances. Extra-time would probably have been the fairest result but that’s sport, you don’t always get what you deserve.”

It was indeed a great spectacle, start to finish, and at the end of the first half with Wexford leading 0-10 to 0-9, both sides were applauded off the pitch.

Even in the face of blanket defence — by both sides — there was some superb point-taking. PJ Banville (3) and raiding wing-back Adrian Morrissey were particularly prominent for Wexford while speedy Stephen Kelly (3) along with corner-forwards Ryan and captain Ger Collins (2 apiece) shone for Limerick.

The second half saw no let-up in the pace of the game with two superbly conditioned teams going at it full belt. Wexford’s goal (fine solo effort by Eric Bradley, 44th minute) was immediately negated by three fine Limerick points (Collins, Ryan and sub John Cooke). Then a four-point Wexford run to put them five in front (1-15 to 0-13), was answered with a four-point run by Limerick, to leave matters still finely balanced approaching the end-game.

A pity, then, the denouement was so muddy, not that John Galvin was bothered. One of the few Limerick players of the past decade recognised for his enduring brilliance, the midfielder was in green on Saturday night, but it was a bib, acting as water-boy, his season long ended by a cruel cruciate injury.

“Oh, the relief!” he said; “When Ian Ryan kicked that ball and the point was given, I knew it was all over. We were a man down and a goal down, and this is a team everyone seems to have written off with eight gone from last year’s team. But they just went out there and played out of their skins again. They’re an absolutely incredible bunch.

“We’re going to Croke Park. Legend!”

Scorers for Limerick: I Ryan 0-5 (0-1f); G Collins 0-5 (0-3f); S Kelly 0-4 (0-1f); E O’Connor 1-0; J Cooke 0-2; T Lee, S O’Carroll, 0-1 each.

Scorers for Wexford: PJ Banville 0-3; R Barry 0-3; B Brosnan 0-3 (0-2f); E Bradley 1-0; C Lyng 0-2 (0-2f); A Morrissey 0-2; A Flynn 0-2; B Mullane, S Roche, 0-1 each.

Subs for Limerick: J Cooke (Mullane 22); E O’Connor (Sheehan 52); J O’Donovan (O’Carroll 55); J Kelly (Cooke inj. 64); B Fitzgerald (Riordan 66).

Subs for Wexford: P Byrne (Doyle 33); S Roche (Morris 54); N Murphy (Murphy 58); A Doyle (Morrissey 64); C Carty (Barry 68).

Referee: D Fahy (Longford).