Sunday night and they were going bananas down in Gorey.
Well, here was Gorey's main street earlier welcoming home the County Champions. #CountyChamps #OnThisDay #buzzing 💚💚@NaomhEannaGAA @Love_Gorey @GoreyGuardian @OfficialWexGAA @officialgaa @RTEgaa @gaaleinster @AIB_GAA @HSwexford @hoganstandgaa #Gorey #Wexford #SundayFunday pic.twitter.com/nCPxNCZg66
— Mark Redmond (@RedmondMr) October 21, 2018
Sunday was a historic day in the town’s history no matter what way the game went. As it turned out, the game couldn’t have gone any better and on the day of Naomh Eanna’s first ever county senior final appearance, they brought home the county title.
Tuesday morning and they’re still basking in the glory of it all. Their men took to Wexford Park as underdogs, they left as green heroes.
The mighty Martin’s were hot favourites but Gorey didn’t bow to anyone this year and that wasn’t about to change because it was a final.
Padraig Doyle, a man who was sublime all year, settled them into the game after St Martin’s blinder of a start. Once they settled, they roared into this game.
Once they got going, they were unstoppable. Cathal Dunbar with all the pace of a scalded gazelle was leaving yards between himself and Wexford county man Willie Devereux in a matter of milliseconds. He was up late into Saturday night appealing his ridiculous red card from the semi-final. It would take more than a lack of sleep to slow him down.
He scored four of the finest from open play but he was well supported by the likes of Aodhan Doyle, Eoin Conroy, Brendan Travers and men like Conor McDonald.
McDonald got the headlines like he so often does but that was because he came up with the big plays that changed this game.
His goals won this game for Gorey, his first green flag a beautiful one handed finish after he’d caught a high ball in his chest. His second, similar in its execution with the big, bustling full forward makes a nuisance of himself.
VIDEO CREDIT: Wexford Today
The piece of genius on everybody’s lips leaving Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday, however, was McDonald’s point just after half-time.
McDonald was sharp onto the breaking ball but with the Martin’s lads bottling him up by the sideline, he looked in bother. His spacial awareness took him to a clear patch. Something was brewing now.
His back was still to the goals though. He couldn’t do it, could he?
Off the hurl and right in front of the stands, he let rip. The crowd couldn’t believe it as the sliotar split the posts.
VIDEO CREDIT: TG4
Gorey were never going to lose after that.
You can watch the point and the crowd’s reaction from the video from Wexford Today
