'It means everything to get over the line': Rapparees end 43-year wait for Wexford title
Celebrate Rapparees Dr Sutton With The Picture: inpho/ken Team Bowe The Cup
Forty-three years of hurt was firmly put to bed as Enniscorthy Rapparees delivered in emphatic fashion ending their barren spell with a thumping 16-point victory over favourites St. Anne's in this Wexford SHC final.
Rapps, still trailing 0-7 to 0-4 after 12 minutes, suddenly set the game alight. Moving the ball quickly out of defence through midfield, it was Alan Tobin who was picked up in space out on the right wing, with the big midfielder showing pace and skill as he moved through the defence to crash home a great 13-minute goal, to bring the sides level.
Enniscorthy then began to show the fluidity and hurling skill which so many knew they possessed, as their game began to reach new heights, particularly after some pressure on the Anne's defence. Corner-forward Ricky Fox who crashed home a great goal from an acute angle on 17 minutes, and when Lennie Connolly followed with a smashing strike two minutes later, the eventual winners found themselves in new territory leading 3-6 to 0-8.
Rapparees were now delivering on their potential with Liam Ryan, Jack Kelly, inspirational at centre-back, and Kevin Foley dominant in defence, Alan Tobin outstanding in midfield, while the forward trio of Lennie Connolly, Oisin Pepper and Ricky Fox were tearing the opposing defence to shred with their movement both on and off the ball While St. Anne's did manage to pull some points back through Dee O'Keeffe, Dylan O'Brien and Liam Rochford, they still trailed 3-9 to 0-12 at the interval.
Oisin Pepper got the fourth goal 10 minutes into the second half before late strikes from Jack Kelly and Connelly sealed the emphatic win.
Kevin Foley said it is hard to put into words the acheivement.
"It means everything to get over the line. It's an unbelievable feeling to have broken the barren spell. We were not part of the past, but it means so much to win it for those lads. It's a great feeling," he said.
"I knew there was a performance in us. We stuck to our guns, set out with a plan and never moved from it. St. Anne's are a great team, they got off to a flier, but we did not panic. It was our first final, who fought hard, worked hard. It means so much to bring a hurling title back to Enniscorthy given its history.
"Look there is such a proud history in the club, my grandfather Martin Doyle and others who had given so much. No doubt they were looking down on us today. I knew there was a big game in us and luckily for us we gave delivered on that expectation today."
L Connolly (2-1); A Tobin (1-3); R Fox (1-2); J Kelly, O Pepper (1-1 each); K Foley, R Mahon (2f), T Mahon (3f) (0-3 each); N Doyle (0-1).
D O'Keeffe (1-5, 1-0 pen. 0-4fs); D O'Brien (0-4); M Furlong (0-3); L Rochford, D Furlong (0-2 each); L Og McGovern (0-1).
A Larkin; N O'Connor, L Ryan, B Edwards; A Roche, J Kelly, K Foley; A Tobin, J Peare; D Redmond, N Doyle, R Mahon; L Connolly, R Fox, O Pepper.
T Mahon for R Mahon (51), D McVeigh for Connolly (57), K Ryan for Pepper (58), T Wall for Redmond (59), O Carty for Doyle (60).
P Brennan; E Ryan, L Schokoman, K Cloney; F O'Driscoll, B Kavanagh, B Moore; D O'Keeffe, A Rochford; M Furlong, L Og McGovern, L Rochford; D Furlong, D O'Brien, J Fogarty, Subs: M Fogarty for D Furlong (42), P O'Keefe for M Furlong (45), K Whelan for Moore (58).
J Owens (Askamore/Kilrush).