Despite shooting 17 wides, Fourmilewater survived a second half comeback from Passage in Fraher Field and progressed to the last eight of the Waterford SHC (1-18 to 1-13). Déise Under 20 attacker Aaron Ryan rifled over ten points (five from play).
The sides were level twice in the third quarter before Sean Walsh won a high ball on 46 minutes and laid it off to Shane O'Meara who blasted home. Five minutes from time, Passage full forward Liam Flynn struck the post and Stephen Ryan saved the rebound from Stephen Lynch. Flynn was a handful for the Fourmile defence under the high ball as he struck three second half points.
Noel Connors returned to the Passage line-up at number four. Fourmile full backs Thomas O'Gorman and Dermot Ryan missed out through injury.
Passage won the toss but elected to play against the elements in the first half. Jamie Barron opened the scoring after just eight seconds. Owen Connors levelled for Passage in the seventh minute. Two Aaron Ryan points and one from Sean Walsh opened a 4-1 lead for Fourmile. They clocked up 10 wides by the 22nd minute. Passage centre back Gary Cullinane landed a monster point from his own half into the breeze. Ryan replied with a free.
Passage levelled on 23 minutes when Mark Fitzgerald whipped home after Liam Flynn crashed the ball off the crossbar (0-5 to 1-2). Injury time efforts from Ryan and Tom Barron gave the Ballymacarbry side a 0-10 to 1-2 advantage at the break. Michael Ryan's men were guilty of 14 wides.
On the restart, Passage went route one into big full forward Liam Flynn and it paid dividends. Three points from the number fourteen brought Paul Carley's charges level nine minutes into the second period. O'Meara's goal into the country end was a game changer entering the last quarter.
Scorers for Fourmilewater: Aaron Ryan 0-10 (4fs, 1 65), Shane O'Meara 1-1, Tholom Guiry 0-2, Kenny Brazil, Tom Barron, Jamie Barron, Dylan Guiry, Sean Walsh 0-1 each.
Scorers for Passage: Mark Fitzgerald 1-1, Owen Connors 0-4 (1f, 1 65), Liam Flynn, Eoghan Reilly (2fs) 0-3 each, Gary Cullinane, Pa Walsh 0-1 each.
Fourmilewater: Stephen Ryan; James McGrath, Conor Gleeson, Jake Mulcahy; Tholom Guiry, Tom Barron, Oisin Walsh; Jamie Barron, Fionn Hallinan; Shane O'Meara, Aaron Ryan, Sean Walsh; Ciaran Walsh, Dylan Guiry, Kenny Brazil.
Sub: Sean Boyce for Brazil (38).
Passage: Eddy Lynch; Ciaran O'Neill, Darragh Lynch, Noel Connors; Jason Roche, Gary Cullinane, Callum O'Neill; Thomas Whitty, Kevin Cullinane; Patrick Flynn, Owen Connors, Liam Flynn; Stephen Lynch, Eoghan Reilly, Mark Fitzgerald.
Subs: Thomas Connors for Reilly (39), David Jones for Whitty (57), Pa Walsh for Ciaran O'Neill (57).
Referee: Nicky O'Toole
