Wexford SFC Final

Castletown 0-13 Shelmaliers 0-9

By Ronan Fagan at Chadwicks Wexford Park

Castletown rocked defending champions Shelmaliers to capture a twelfth Wexford SFC title at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday.

The challengers dominated approaching half-time to overhaul a 0-6 to 0-2 deficit after 25 minutes to claim 11 of the remaining 14 scores on the way to victory.

And Castletown now assume leadership of the Model County roll of honour with their first outright success since 2019.

While Castletown certainly delivered upfront, some composed defence was also central to ripping up the script as they crucially held the title-holders scoreless between the 28th and 50th minutes while generating six unanswered points in a decisive spell that sent them ahead by 0-10 to 0-7.

Castletown welcome Portlarlington of Laois in a Leinster Club opener next Sunday.

A free flowing but tense first-half was devoid of any goal-scoring threats, with Castletown captain Conor Carty drawing first blood with a fifth minute point.

But wind assisted Shelmaliers gained an eighth minute lead as Glen Malone (free) and Tony Smith responded, before the Donohoe brothers, Simon (a fisted finish) and Jody, along with Smith extended the gap to 0-5 to 0-1 after 22 minutes.

Castletown were competing favourably and shaved the margin to 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time as Donnacha Holmes (two) and midfielder Rory Heffernan made in-roads in an uplifting finish to the half.

And Castletown seized upon gaining the backing of the strong wind as Robbie Brooks flicked over a goaling chance on the resumption as they transformed matters by 0-10 to 0-7 after 42 minutes with additions from Liam Coleman, Donnacha Holmes, Rory Heffernan and defender Frank Roche.

Shelmaliers lifted the siege only to squander chances before Glen Malone ended their lengthy scoring impasse from a free on 50 minutes to peg it back to 0-10 to 0-8.

The response was swift though as the Brooks brothers, Robbie and goalie Darragh popped over frees either side of Jack Higgins splitting the posts.

Shelmaliers persisted, but six more wides than the opposition proved costly before losing sub Dan Campbell to a red-card in added-time as Castletown embraced their return to the summit.

Scorers for Castletown: Donnacha Holmes 0-3, Rory Heffernan, Robbie Brooks (1f), and Conor Carty (1f) 0-2 each, Jack Higgins, Frank Roche, Liam Coleman, and Darragh Brooks (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Shelmaliers: Tony Smith and Glen Malone (1f) 0-2 each, Eoghan Nolan, Jody Donohoe, Brian Malone, James Cash, and Simon Donohoe 0-1 each.

Castletown: Darragh Brooks; Ross Cody, Danny Gardiner, Joe Ahern; Joe Gardiner, Colin Kennedy, Frank Roche; Rory Heffernan, Liam Coleman; Conor Carty, Robbie Brooks, Jack Higgins; Brendan Halpin, Jody O’Shaughnessy, Donnacha Holmes.

Subs: James Holmes for D. Holmes, temp. (28-29), Killian Pierce for Halpin (56), James Holmes for D. Holmes (60+2).

Shelmaliers: Craig McCabe; Andre O’Brien, James Cash, Ross Banville; Glen Malone, Graham Staples, Simon Donohoe; Eoghan Nolan (0-1), Sean Keane-Carroll; Jody Donohoe, Tony Smith, Aaron Murphy; Conor Hearne, Eoghan O’Gara, Brian Malone.

Subs: Eoin Doyle for Smith (39), Dan Campbell for O’Brien (44), Aidan Cash for J. Donohoe (47), Paul Hearne for O’Gara (56).

Referee: James (Kilrush).