“It means everything to get over the line” – Rapparees finally end 43-year wait for senior hurling championship title

Rapparees 6-18 St Anne’s 1-17

St Anne’s got off to the better start in the Wexford final, settling into the game much quicker than Rapparees, but they managed to find their feet and went in all square on the first water break.

Then the goals started to come quick and fast, Alan Tobin, Ricky Fox, and Lenny Connolly all found the net in the first half.

When you have gone that long without a senior championship title, you don’t sit back and hold onto a lea, you go and make sure the victory is concrete.

They found another three goals in the second half, and captain Kevin Foley said it is hard to put into words the achievement.

“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.”

Scorers for Rapparees: 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).

Scorers for St Anne’s: 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).

RAPPAREES: 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.

Subs: 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).

ST ANNE’S: 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).

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