Wexford Football League: Ballymurn Celtic clinch the Division 3 crown

A 93rd-minute equaliser from Josh Whitehead clinched the Division 3 title for Ballymurn Celtic as they earned a 2-2 draw with fellow challengers Fastnet Rovers in Rathangan on Wednesday evening.

Ballymurn needed to take something from the match to be crowned champions with a game to spare, but the visitors were up against it when Dylan O’Brien fired the hosts in front in the 16th minute.

The LFA Shield winners are made of stern stuff, however, and Shane Whelan drew them level on the stroke of half-time, finishing well after great work from Joe Kelly in the build-up.

Dylan O’Brien looked to have prolonged the title race when he grabbed his second to restore Fastnet’s advantage with five minutes remaining. However, Whitehead grabbed a precious leveller deep into injury-time, firing to the corner of the net after Glen Murphy’s throw was nodded on by Eoghan ‘Snowy’ Kehoe, to earn the silverware for Celtic.

Following on from last season’s Division 3A and Billy Browne Cup triumphs, Ballymurn finished the season with another double to their name as they continue to go from strength to strength.

Fastnet Rovers: Rory O’Brien, Barry Roche, Patrick Miskella, Josh Cloney, Michael O’Brien, Fionn Byrne, Seán Kelly, David McDonagh, Páidí Power, Dylan O’Brien (capt.), Kyle Kennedy. Subs. – Ben White for Byrne (60), Andy Kennedy for M. O’Brien (60), Graham Healy for Kennedy (75), Karim Byrne for Kelly (82), also Graham Holmes, Jack O’Brien, Ben Kelly.

Ballymurn Celtic: James White, Cameron Clarke, Glen Murphy, Paddy Redmond, Paul Walsh, Seán Walsh, Jamie Donnelly, Bill Peare, Joe Kelly, Shane Whelan, Eoghan Kehoe. Subs. – Josh Whitehead (capt.) for Peare (30), Niall Murphy for Whelan (64), Jamie Kealy-Gregory for Redmond (64), Josh Waldron for Donnelly (82), Adam O’Brien for Clarke (87), also Connor King, Joe Wilson,

Referee: Darren Keating.

Ballymurn finished their campaign with a 4-4 draw in Camolin on Sunday.

The hosts were ahead twice in the opening half, through Owen Byrne and Eoin Doyle, but those goals were cancelled out by Shane Whelan and Adam O’Brien.

Doyle grabbed his second ten minutes after the break to make it 3-2, but again Ballymurn had the answer as Cameron Clarke equalised with 20 minutes remaining.

Camolin took the lead for a fourth time two minutes later through Christopher Kehoe, but Glen Murphy netted in the 81st minute to earn a share of the spoils for the champions.