Brilliant Banville shoots Shelmaliers to Wexford title
Ross Banville delivered a masterful performance for Shelmaliers as they claimed their first Wexford senior hurling title in six years.
Behind closed doors in Chadwicks Wexford Park, Banville scored 1-8 including a first-half penalty and he beautifully set up James Cash for a goal four minutes into the second half.
That score put Shelmaliers nine points up but that advantage was whittled down to three points just seven minutes later largely due to a Ciaran Molloy goal.
However, that was as close as Naomh Éanna got to their opponents thereafter as the Donohue brothers and Brendan Travers worked tirelessly to thwart Conor McDonald. Jody Donohoe also helped himself to two points.
A third Shels goal from Seán Keane Carroll in the 42nd minute put Vinny Parker’s team six up and a hat-trick of consecutive scores from Banville ended the game as a contest before Gary Molloy netted a consolation goal.
Backed by a wind, Shels were five points up after 16 minutes although they would finish the half with 10 wides. They led by four points prior to the water break but that was reduced to one directly after it when Cathal Dunbar seized on a poor restart to find the net.
Shelmaliers were ahead from the fourth minute and maintained that until the turnaround but for long periods they weren’t making the wind advantage count. Indeed, that combined with their indiscipline at the back brought Naomh Éanna right back into this final and the margin was a point two minutes into first-half additional time.
However, their finish to the half was electric and they went into the interval 1-10 to 1-5 up. After a second Conor Hearne point, early substitute Arnie Murphy was brought down by Eoin Conroy and after consulting with his umpires referee Barry Redmond awarded the penalty, which Banville hit to the net with conviction.
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