THE FOUR O'loughlin Cup Minor football semi-finals were decided on Sunday last, resulting in wins for Sarsfields, Ballinastragh Gaels, Castletown and Glynn-barntown over Gusserane, Ballyhogue, Craanford and Volunteers respectively. The semi-final draw will be made on Wednesday night.

Sarsfields 4-9, Gusserane 3-11: Ten minutes into the second-half at Tom Somers Memorial Park in Gusserane, the home team appeared to be home and dry as they were 15 points ahead of their Wexford town opponents (3-10 to 0-4) and it looked at that stage as if Sarsfields had thrown in the towel.

But what a sensational finish followed as the big lead was hauled back and, with the aid of four late goals and a last-minute point by Ben O'brien, the lead changed hands by the minimum margin mere seconds before referee Derek Murphy blew for full-time.

Gusserane connections were stunned into shock and many from the Sarsfields camp also just stood in disbelief at such a quick turnaround as the end result took some time to finally sink in.

Gusserane took control from an early stage and, following an exchange of points between Dale Scallan and Liam Dillon, they began to dominate and they led by 2-6 to 0-3 by half-time, the two goals coming within three minutes of each other just before the break after Tom Foran, Pádraig Conway and Seán O'connor had accounted for earlier points.

Both goals were fine individual efforts by Conway and Foran as they soloed through and gave goalie Matthew Murphy little chance with rasping kicks to the net.

Although Eoin Roche scored an early second-half point for Sarsfields, Gusserane soon got into their stride again and there didn't appear to be any outcome other than a comfortable win for them as Good Counsel students Pádraig Conway and Darragh Doyle continued to kick over the points. Adrian Redmond applied the finish to a third goal and even wing-back Dean Rossiter came up field nine minutes into the second-half to make it 3-10 to 0-4 in favour of the home team at that stage.

Gusserane then introduced three substitutes together and, judging by this action, it was quite evident that complacency was beginning to set in. That move by the Gusserane mentors was like a red rag to a bull as far as Sarsfields were concerned, and Dale Scallan goaled before John Bridges scored another goal from a penalty to reduce the margin to 3-10 to 2-6 by the threequarter stage.

Gusserane defended as best they could as Sarsfields forwards came at them in waves. They were now on a roll, with Aaron Mcmahon, Eoin Roche and Dale Scallan finding the range again before Roche had the ball in the Gusserane net twice from close in to narrow the gap to the minimum after Darragh Doyle had scored Gusserane's lone point in over 16 minutes.

Eoin Roche accounted for the levelling point and this was followed almost immediately by Ben O'brien's winner just before the final whistle.

Sarsfields: Matthew Murphy; Jamie Mcdonnell, Gavin O'connor, Liam Barry; Shaun Donohue, Ryan Walsh (capt.), Cian Doyle; Eoin Roche (2-2), Ben O'brien (0-2); Shane Wilde, John Bridges (1-1, 1-0 pen., 0-1 free), John Gannon; Dale Scallan (1-3), Aaron Mcmahon (0-1), Seán Kearney. Subs. - James Flood for O'connor, inj., Peter Carberry for Kearney.

Gusserane: Brian Fardy; Garrett Mahon, James Murphy, James Kinsella; Dean Rossiter (0-1), Evan O'neill, Jason Sutton; Darragh Doyle (0-2), Liam Dillon (0-1); Adrian Redmond (1-0), Tom Foran (1-1), Seán Ryan; Seán O'connor (0-1), Pádraig Conway (1-5, 0-3 frees), Jack Burford. Subs. - Luke Kent for Sutton, Kieran Conway for O'connor, John Roche for Burford, Eoin Foran for Mahon, Mahon for Rossiter.

Referee: Derek Murphy (St. Martin's).