St Martin’s strike in stoppage time for memorable win

AIB Leinster club senior hurling championship quarter-final

ST MARTIN’S (WEXFORD) 1-21 NA FIANNA (DUBLIN) 2-17

By Paul Keane at Chadwicks Wexford Park

What a difference a year makes in the AIB Leinster club SHC.

Na Fianna conjured three late points to see off St Martin’s with a little to spare when these teams met at the semi-final stage in 2024.

Almost a year on, and at the quarter-final stage this time, St Martin’s were the ones that struck the three late points to secure a landmark win, ending Na Fianna’s reign as provincial and All-Ireland title holders.

Two of those points, including the 64th minute winner, came from the hurl of Rory O’Connor while substitute Ben Stafford provided the other.

Those scores allowed the hosts to turn a two-point deficit early in stoppage time into a one-point win, propelling them through to a semi-final against Naas back at Chadwicks Wexford Park in a fortnight.

O’Connor finished with nine points in total while his brother Jack contributed 0-4 and really came alive in the second-half when he was most needed.

Barry O’Connor, back from Australia to help his club on both the hurling and football fronts, weighed in with a huge performance too and 1-2 overall.

The club’s footballers, with a number of dual players, will head to Westmeath next Saturday to play Tubberclair in the Leinster IFC.

But it’s the end of the road for Na Fianna who had goalscorers in Sean Currie and AJ Murphy. The three-in-a-row Dublin champions will ultimately rue a dozen wides overall.

The Glasnevin side led virtually from pillar to post when the clubs met in last year’s fixture at Parnell Park. But it took them 25 minutes or so to find their groove this time and they trailed the hosts for most of the first-half.

Dropped balls, fumbled passes and over-carrying all cost Na Fianna as St Martin’s opened up a 0-10 to 0-5 lead.

And it should have been worse from the north Dublin side’s perspective as St Martin’s failed to fully ram home their authority, drilling nine first-half wides.

Micheal Murphy, for instance, dropped the ball whilst soloing up the field for Na Fianna in the 23rd minute but Darren Codd was unable to properly punish, firing a wide for St Martin’s.

Na Fianna were guilty of wasteful play too with seven first-half wides, and two point attempts that dropped short, but they finally found their groove approaching the interval.

Aidan Downes’ side reeled off 1-3 without response between the 26th and 29th minutes, the mini-blitz beginning with Sean Currie’s goal.

Peter Feeney played the ball across from the left wing and Currie displayed ingenuity in a crowded goalmouth to kick to the net.

Na Fianna briefly led but a Jack O’Connor point closed out the half and left the sides level, 1-8 to 0-11.

They were tied again at 1-9 to 0-12 before St Martin’s surged two clear following Jack and Rory O’Connor points.

Just like earlier, the urgency of the situation appeared to energise Na Fianna, and Donal Burke in particular.

Two great Burke catches led, firstly, to a Brian Ryan point and then AJ Murphy’s 42nd minute goal.

Ryan and Sean Currie added points and now it was Na Fianna that led by two, 2-12 to 0-16.

This was a game that was destined to go all the way though and the sides were level three more times in a rip-roaring closing quarter.

Na Fianna placed themselves on the brink of another big win when AJ Murphy and Sean Currie pointed in the 59th and 60th minutes, leaving them two ahead.

But St Martin’s dug deep and mined out a memorable win, leaving them just two steps from provincial silverware.

St Martin’s scorers: Rory O’Connor 0-9 (0-6f), Barry O’Connor 1-2, Jack O’Connor 0-4 (0-1f), Darren Codd 0-2, Jake Firman 0-2, Michael Coleman 0-1, Ben Stafford 0-1.

Na Fianna scorers: Sean Currie 1-3, Colin Currie 0-6 (0-3f), AJ Murphy 1-2, Donal Burke 0-2, Brian Ryan 0-2, Jack Meagher 0-1, Micheal Murphy 0-1.

St Martin’s: Callum Quirke; Eoin O’Leary, Conor Firman, Philip Dempsey; Daithi Waters, Joe Barrett, Diarmuid O’Leary; David Codd, Aaron Maddock; Jack O’Connor, Darren Codd, Jake Firman; Michael Coleman, Barry O’Connor, Rory O’Connor.

Subs: Ben Maddock for Aaron Maddock 45, Ben Stafford for Coleman 48, Sam Audsley for O’Leary 59.

Na Fianna: Jonathan Tracey; Micheal Murphy, Conor McHugh, Sean Burke; Paul O’Dea, Liam Rushe, Peter Feeney; Brian Ryan, Joe Kavanagh; Sean Currie, Donal Burke, Jack Meagher; Colin Currie, Tom Brennan, AJ Murphy.

Subs: Charlie McCarthy for Brennan h/t, Liam Stacey for Kavanagh 52, Diarmuid Clerkin for Murphy 56-57, blood.

Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath).