Castletown 0-09 Gusserane 0-06
Castletown overcame the dismissal of Jonathan Bealin to capture their second Wexford SFC crown within the space of three years against Gusserane at a rain-lashed Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday.
Bealin was red-carded for an apparent strike during first-half stoppage time moments after edging Castletown into a 0-04 to 0-03 lead.
But his colleagues redoubled their efforts as the maroon and white made amends for last year's final loss to Shelmaliers.
Castletown now await a Leinster quarter-final away to either Meath’s Dunshaughlin or Westmeath’s St Loman’s on 10 November.
Wind-assisted Gusserane forged 0-02 to no-score clear inside seven minutes, with Mark Rossiter converting a third-minute free before Jamie Sheehan doubled their advantage.
Castletown centre-back Colin Kennedy struck back, but opposing full-back Mark O’Neill demonstrated how to overcome Castletown’s packed defence when slotting over from distance after 13 minutes.
Castletown then emerged from their shell to show real promise, and goalie Darragh Brooks pegged back a pointed ’45 after 16 minutes after Rory Heffernan had forced an intervention inside, while Conor Carty drew them level.
Gusserane were left frustrated following a series of missed opportunities - four wides and three shots dropping short – before Bealin hit the headlines in the closing stages of the half.
While Gusserane pounced with an early second-half leveller through a Mark Rossiter free, Castletown responded to lead 0-07 to 0-04 after 43 minutes through Joe Gardiner, Brendan Halpin (free) and Jack Higgins.
Gusserane were continually snuffed out as they sought to make something happen up front, but sourced scores courtesy of Eoin Ryan and free-taker Rossiter to be within a point after 54 minutes.
Halpin gave Castletown a 0-8 to 0-6 lead from a free, and while 'keeper Brooks was unfortunate to strike an upright from a placed-ball, Gavin Kelly clinched victory in the fifth minute of added time to capture the Seamus Keevans trophy.
Castletown: Darragh Brooks (0-01, 0-01 ’45); Joe Ahern, Danny Gardiner, Ross Cody; Frank Roche, Colin Kennedy (0-01), Killian Pierce; Rory Heffernan, Joe Gardiner (0-01); Jack Higgins (0-01), Conor Carty (0-01), Donnacha Holmes; Jonathan Bealin (0-01), Robbie Brooks, Brendan Halpin (0-02, 0-02fs).
Subs: Gavin McNulty for Gardiner (49), Gavin Kelly (0-01) for O’Shaughnessy (53), Marcus Wallace for Cody (60).
Gusserane: Mark Flynn; Adrian Redmond, Mark O’Neill (0-01), Jack O’Connor; Jamie Sheehan (0-01), Gavin Sheehan, Jack Burford; John Roche, Ciarán Conway; Eoin Ryan (0-01), Adrian Flynn, Cillian Kehoe; Seán Ryan, Páraic Conway, Mark Rossiter (0-03, 0-03fs).
Subs: Kenneth Cahill for C Conway (40), Cormac Kiely for J Sheehan (40), Evan Kiely for O’Connor (46), Graeme Cullen for Flynn (51), Aaron Whelan for O’Neill (56).
Referee: Fintan O’Reilly (Kilmore).
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