Sixty minutes of white-knuckle action. Two teams in their most clinical form of the championship campaign so far. One team looking to win their first title since 2001, the other looking for their second in three years. Those are the numbers and statistics as Wexford Park plays host to an intriguing WFC senior football final when St.Anne’s take on Castletown at 3.15 p.m this coming Sunday. St.Anne’s come into the decider as the only team boasting a 100 % record this year, and if truth be told they haven’t been tested in their march to the final. Castletown experienced somewhat indifferent form towards the end of the group stages, falling as they did to a 1-13 to 2-7 defeat to St.Martin’s before kicking a late equalizer to draw with Sarsfields.
However, they exacted revenge against St.Martin’s in devastating fashion in their semi-final tussle on September 15, when a hell for leather opening half from the north county men built the foundations which ultimately saw them prevail by 3-12 to 2-9. On the same day, St.Anne’s had far too much firepower when they disposed of Wexford district rivals Sarsfields by 2-12 to 0-7. Those form lines certainly make it a tough one to call. St.Anne’s have built up considerable confidence that comes with winning games, while Castletown, despite a few scares along the way, appear to have found form at the right time. Indeed, they’ve shown remarkable fortitude at key occasions this season, an example being their never-say-die attitude in their extra time victory over Kilarnerin when they looked to be exiting the championship in normal time.
That experience of prevailing when put to the test could stand to them today. As with every massive game, there are a number of key duels to look out for throughout the field. Redmond Barry has been in scintillating form all season, and he leads the scoring charts for the championship with an insurmountable 8-23, and it will be interesting to see how Castletown counter his massive influence, with Danny Gardiner expected to be deployed in another man-marking job.
The midfield quartet of David Fogarty and David O’Connor for the Rathangan men and Tomas Sheehy and Jesse Foley for the maroon and white will be looking to sway dominance towards their respective sides, while another interesting battle could be between former county colleagues Conor Carty and Liam Og McGovern. There are so many permutations and possible outcomes that it is almost impossible to pick a potential victor, so it’s probably best to sit on the fence. Or even better, sit in the stand and take in what should be an absorbing encounter.
