It does not get much tighter than this. Davidstown-Courtnacuddy edged out Ballyfad by the narrowest of margins in a breathless contest that went down to the wire, with free-taker Hayes proving the difference when it mattered most in additional time.
The final score read Davidstown-Courtnacuddy 1-17, Ballyfad 1-16, but those numbers barely do justice to just how close this one was. Two teams went toe to toe for the duration and neither was willing to give an inch, making Hayes’s composed finish in the dying moments all the more dramatic.
Ballyfad had every reason to believe they could pull off the result. They matched their opponents for long stretches and the single goal apiece kept things incredibly tight throughout. Every score felt crucial and every mistake felt costly as the tension built towards a finale that had supporters on the edge of their seats.
But when the pressure was at its absolute peak, Hayes stepped up and delivered. Slotting the free to nudge his side in front in additional time is the kind of moment that gets talked about for years in a club. Steady hands, clear head, job done.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy will be the happier dressing room after the final whistle, knowing they found a way to win when it looked like the game could have gone either way right up to the last kick. That ability to grind out results in tight finishes is the mark of a side with real character.
For Ballyfad, the defeat will sting badly. Coming so close and falling just one point short is a tough pill to swallow, and the manner of it, conceding the winning score so late in additional time, makes it even harder to take. They will feel they left something out there on the pitch today.
Both sides can take credit for producing a game that kept everyone watching fully invested from start to finish. One goal each meant the match was always balanced on a knife edge, and neither team was ever able to build enough of a cushion to feel comfortable.
The Wexford club scene continues to throw up these kinds of compelling contests and this one will rank among the more memorable finishes of the season. Davidstown-Courtnacuddy move on, Ballyfad must regroup, and Hayes will be buying his own drinks for a while after that effort.