Purple cruise to big victory
Royals thumped in Dublin
WEXFORD PURPLE 5-20 MEATH ROYALS 1-10
WEXFORD PURPLE moved to the top of the Celtic Challenge Group D table with a thumping defeat of Meath Royals in Abbotstown on Tuesday.
The Slaneysiders were in complete control from the first minute to the last, never trailing on their way to an easy 22-point win. This was in stark contrast to their county mates Wexford Gold who took a hefty beating off the Meath lads in their opening fixture.
Unlike that day, Wexford Purple, despite missing several of their squad, dominated every area of the field. In defence they were particularly impressive, keeping their opponents’ dangerman, Nicholas Potterton, to just one point from play.
It was no surprise that the Meath management whispered plaudits the way of his marker, Cillian Gahan. The Faythe Harriers defender was outstanding throughout, winning more than his fair share against a fine hurler.
Also on fire was Peter Rowley whose handling and catching of high balls was remarkable, so much so that his side of the field was like a black hole for Meath puck-outs.
In the attacking third Cathal Doyle and Seán O’Connor were almost unplayable.
While Doyle nabbed himself a major treble, it was Conall Clancy’s brace of goals that will live long in the memory. The first was an absolute rocket that whizzed across goal and rattled the top corner, while the second came after a stunning high take 30 metres from goal.
After a couple of Seán O’Connor points, Doyle netted the open- ing goal from an acute angle after cutting in from the right. When he added another in the tenth minute, this time after rounding the last defender with ease, Wexford Purple led by 2-3 to nil.
The advantage was ten when James Lawlor’s crossfield ball picked out Clancy and he sauntered away to finish with aplomb. Trevor Healy pulled a goal back with a classy whipped strike from waist height but Wexford Purple still went in at the break 3-9 to 1-5 ahead.
There was no particular response from Meath after the change of ends as the boys in purple tipped away with points from Ben O’Connor, Seán O’Connor and Kevin O’Donohoe. When the third quarter came to an end, Wexford held a twelve-point advantage (3-14 to 1-8).
Moments after Clancy hauled in Ben O’Connor’s long ball, hared away and easily swatted past Mark Hatton, Doyle completed his hattrick with a blistering run through the heart of the Meath defence and a classy finish.
WIth resistance broken, Wexford Purple added another six points in the last eleven minutes. The first of two tough games to round out the group stages came five days later when the high-flyers faced Dublin Clarke in Tinryland.
Wexford Purple: Ben Walsh; Cillian Gahan, Eoin Doyle, Patrick O’Hagan; Micheál Gahan, Conall O Crualaoich (0-1), Peter Rowley; Ben Stafford, Chris Callanan; Kevin O’Donohoe (0-1), James Lawlor (0-1), Michael O’Connor (0-2); Cathal Doyle (capt., 3-4), Seán O’Connor (0-8, 5 frees), Conall Clancy (2-0). Subs. - David Mernagh (0-1) for C. Doyle (27), Ben O’Connor (0-2) for Callanan (28), Callanan for M. Gahan (37), Cathal Doyle for S. O’Connor (41), Seán Cooper for Walsh (42), Seán O’Connor for B. O’Connor (49), Micheál Gahan for Mernagh (51), David Mernagh for O’Donohoe, inj. (56).
Meath Royals: Mark Hatton; Aaron O’Flaherty, Martin Browne, Ross Kerrigan; Jack Bannon, Kevin Coffey (0-1), Simon Ennis; Vinny Ward (capt., 0-1), Patrick Coyne; Peter O’Doherty, Paul Briody (0-3), Caragh O’Brien; Trevor Healy (1-1), Cian Rogers (0-1), Nicholas Potterton (0-3, 2 frees). Subs. - Seán Johnson for O’Brien (11), Kevin Lennon for O’Doherty (31), O’Brien for Kerrigan (40), Alex Dunne for Healy (44), O’Doherty for Coyne (52).
Referee: Antóin Keating (Dublin).