Ardmore (Waterford) 3-11 St Mogue’s Fethard (Wexford) 0-18 (AET)
Seamus Prendergast gave a brilliant display for Ardmore as they
claimed the All-Ireland Junior Club Championship with an enthralling
3-11 to 0-18 extra-time win over St Mogue’s Fethard at Croke Park.
The former Waterford star scored 1-08 including a first-half goal as
the Munster champions held a 1-04 to 0-06 half-time lead, and John
Gartland added a goal after half-time.
St Mogue’s Fethard relied on Mark Wallace’s frees and he scored 0-14,
as well as a late free to push them ahead, but David Gartland’s point
forced extra-time.
The sides finished 2-08 to 0-14 at the end of normal time but Ardmore
wer
e 2-11 to 0-15 ahead at half-time in extra-time, and John Gartland
scored his second goal to seal the win.
There were nerves and errors aplenty in the first-half while both
teams suffered from erratic shooting, but it was the experience of
Seamus Prendergast that drove Ardmore to a narrow 1-04 to 0-06 half-time
lead.
The Ardmore full-forward scored the first point of the game in the
fourth minute when he landed a free but that was cancelled out by
Wallace soon after.
And Fethard took a 0-03 to 0-01 lead with the efforts of Wallace and
Michael Dwyer. The latter could have scored a goal were it not for a
great save from Jack Walsh in the 11th minute.
But then Seamus Keating sent in a long delivery from a free and
Seamus Prendergast bundled the ball home after a mistake from Fethard
goalkeeper Sean Foley.
That gave Ardmore a 1-01 to 0-03 lead in the 12th minute, Wallace
tied things up again four minutes later, but Prendergast was on target
to bring his tally to 1-02 already.
Fethard were wasteful but so too were Ardmore, and it was level again when Wallace scored his third free.
Keating scored an inspired effort in the 25th minute and Seamus
Prendergast gave Ardmore a two-point lead with four minutes left in the
half.
It was their biggest lead up to that stage but
Wallace scored his fifth point to leave just the minimum between the two
sides at half-time.
Wallace quickly tied the game up again on the resumption but Seamus
Prendergast gave Ardmore a one-point before their second goal arrived.
Seamus Prendergast did brilliantly to hook Sean Foley and the ball fell to John Gartland who finished to the Fethard net.
It gave Ardmore a 2-05 to 0-07 advantage but Wallace scored three
points in a row and Garrett Foley brought the teams level with 12
minutes remaining.
Seamus Prendergast and Wallace continued their personal battle and
the latter looked to have won when he scored a free from his own 65 in
the 61st minute but three minutes late David Gartland sent the game to
extra-time.
Seamus Prendergast scored twice when the game restarted, and David Gartland’s point gave Ardmore a three-point lead.
They were two points clear at the interval and John Gartland’s 82nd minute strike finally secured victory for Ardmore.
ARDMORE: Jack Walsh; Niall Hennessy, Declan Prendergast,
Daniel Power; Gavin Williams, Seamus Keating (0-01), Ritchie Hennessy;
Kenny Murphy, Wayne Hennessy; Sean Barron, David Gartland (0-02),
Michael Cronin; James Flavin, Seamus Prendergast (1-08, 0-07f), John
Gartland (2-00).
Subs used: James Kennedy for Cronin (half-time), Kieran Conway for D Power (44).
