Shels players star for Wexford in All Ireland final.
Wexford are All Ireland Intermediate Hurling Champions after a 1-11 to 1-9 victory over near neighbours Waterford on Saturday evening last at Nowlan Park. Three Shelmaliers players played pivotal parts in this victory. Clive Lawlor lining out at corner back, Brian Malone at centre back and Stephen Banville at full forward were all on top form for the Wexford team. Stephen Banville unselfishly set up many of the scores for his team mates and used his skill and strength to great effect on the full forward line. Clive Lawlor was solid at corner back and let nothing by him as indeed the whole full back line performed almost flawlessly on the day, while Brian Malone in his usual steady and assured manner controlled the game from the half back line and was probably Wexford’s best player on the day. Indeed Paul Bealin must be a little concerned that one of his star players might be poached from his senior football team; such was his performance in this intermediate hurling final. Great credit go to the lads and with these players in our senior panels the future looks bright for Wexford.
The county Wexford hurling U15 team travelled to Belfast Saturday 25th August to take part in a blitz against Antrim, Meath and Kildare. Enjoying comfortable wins in the group stages they met Antrim again in the final and won out the blitz emphatically. Five Shels boys took part, James Gordon, Feargal Hynes, Aidan Cash, Shane Griffith and Stephen Corrigan, and all played major parts in the win.
There were no winners of the club development lotto last week with eight people matching 3 numbers in the draw. The lucky winners were Sharon and Nathan, Carl Burk, Josie Howlin, Sharon Drennan, Aine Stapleton, Nora Lawlor, Babbie Fitzgerald and Jim and Patrica Kelly, each of these people received €32. Next weeks prize will be €10,000. The Shelmalier Junior hurling team qualified for the semi final of the competition with an easy victory over Blackwater by 1-16 to 0-7 which was played in Ballymurn on the Saturday last. The Blackwater team stayed in contention with Shels for the first half but faded completely after half time. The Shelmaliers started very slowly and the first half was dominated by frees with Chris Wall scoring four for Shels and Blackwater also scoring four. The half time score saw the Shelmaliers leading by 0-6 to 0-5 with Chris Wall 0-4, J.Redmond 1-0 and C.Byrne 0-1 on the mark for the leaders. The Shelmaliers started second with more purpose and with two points from Joe Kelly extended their lead. Emmett O Leary came on for Shels at this stage and when Joe Kelly scored a great goal from the edge of the square after the Blackwater defence had failed to clear their lines the game was over as a contest. Blackwater only scored one point from play and added only two points from frees in second half. Chris Wall added four points from frees and play to finish as top scorer with 0-8.The final score was Shels 1-16 Blackwater 0-7. Shels scorers in second half were C. Wall 0-4, Joe Kelly 1-3, Emmett O Leary 0-1 and Conor Byrne 0-2. Good performances from the Shelmaliers were, Joe Kelly, Darren Malone, Conor Byrne, Arron Watters and Niall Cullen.
Twenty four teams descended on Waterford at the weekend for the annual Tony Forristal Tournament festival of inter-county hurling in the U14 grade and Shelmalier man Conor Tobin had the honour of captaining the purple and gold side for the tournament. Wexford, based in the famous Mount Sion club, were in the group of death with the hosts, Waterford and Kilkenny, with only one team proceeding to the semi-final. The team boasted two Shelmaliers, Conor Tobin who captained the side, and Craig McCabe who was unfortunately sidelined due to injury. Wexford were in the unfortunate position of having to go in cold in their first game against a Waterford side that had already destroyed Kilkenny. In a highly entertaining game they ran the eventual champions to a 5 point margin, closer than anyone else got to the Decies men in the competition. Our representative on the field, Conor Tobin, put in an impressive display of controlled and skilful hurling at full-back. The Suir men eventually won a very tough game on a 1-11 to 0-9. In their second game of the day, Wexford, with Conor again at full-back, and in flying form, had a real ding-dong with the old rivals Kilkenny. The lead swung back and forward throughout the game, but the Wexford boys put in a storming second half to leave the result in no doubt. The final score was 2-8 to 2-5 in favour of Wexford.
Wexford are All Ireland Intermediate Hurling Champions after a 1-11 to 1-9 victory over near neighbours Waterford on Saturday evening last at Nowlan Park. Three Shelmaliers players played pivotal parts in this victory. Clive Lawlor lining out at corner back, Brian Malone at centre back and Stephen Banville at full forward were all on top form for the Wexford team. Stephen Banville unselfishly set up many of the scores for his team mates and used his skill and strength to great effect on the full forward line. Clive Lawlor was solid at corner back and let nothing by him as indeed the whole full back line performed almost flawlessly on the day, while Brian Malone in his usual steady and assured manner controlled the game from the half back line and was probably Wexford’s best player on the day. Indeed Paul Bealin must be a little concerned that one of his star players might be poached from his senior football team; such was his performance in this intermediate hurling final.Great credit goes to the lads and with these players in our senior panels the future looks bright for Wexford.