Minors off to winning start in Leinster
Minors show great heart to scrape past battling Offaly
WEXFORD showed great heart to battle away and snag the points in the opening round of the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship in O’Connor Park, Tullamore on Saturday afternoon last.
James Sheil’s side seemed to have snookered themselves, going in at the interval with a twopoint lead, despite playing with a gale at their backs. However, they knuckled down and did the hard graft after the break and were deserving of their hard-earned success.
Wexford were their own worst enemy in the first half. They clearly have a way they want to play, it involves lots of short passing and requires finesse and accuracy. Those attempts were partly hampered by the windy afternoon but they were also struggling to click.
Yet you can probably get away with that a little in this type of game, against an opponent that you would expect to beat, if you are disciplined and patient when not in possession. Wexford were the opposite and their continuous fouling played right into Offaly’s hands in the first half.
That said, it didn’t help that any soft frees available were going to the hosts in that opening thirty minutes.
Maybe other teams would get frustrated by how things were going but Wexford showed an impressive maturity just to get on with it and keep battling.
The score was level at a point each - Cian Molloy’s long range free for Wexford - when the visitors almost opened their major account. Diarmuid O’Leary provided several penatritive runs from deep and it was his work that presented Paddy Whitty with a chance that he fired off the post.
Conor Foley and Dylan O’Neill notched for Wexford but it was 0-3 each when Dan Murray forced Cian Byrne into a sharp double save in the 8th minute. After Jack Screeney’s fifth free, the hosts led 0-5 to 0-4 nine minutes later.
Then Wexford raced clear. Luke Kavanagh levelled the tie, A.J. Redmond saw his long range effort slip past Adam Fitzgerald and into the net and thirty seconds later O’Leary again turned provider for Kavanagh and he drilled across goal, low to the rigging.
When Redmond knocked over a 22nd minute free his side led by seven (2-6 to 0-5), they failed to score again in the period. Instead, Offaly knocked over a couple of points and Dan Murray forced the ball over the line for their opening goal to leave two between the teams at the interval.
Realistically things had to change if Wexford were to get an opening win under their belts. They upped the intensity significantly while, on the other hand, Offaly seemed to leave their biggest effort back in the first half.
Refereeing decisions also became more balanced and Wexford cleaned up their act, both with giving up soft frees and finding a little more accuracy in their short game. It was still tough sledding against the breeze and Offaly did have their moments.
Josh Sheil and impressive substitute Cian Byrne both had points on the board in the opening six minutes of the second stanza but a brace of Screeney frees and a Sam Burke point left just a point between the sides entering the final quarter.
Redmond notched his third free in the 46th minute to make it 2-9 to 1-10 but Offaly, almost out of nothing, launched a long ball into the Wexford half, Niall Lyons was isolated one-on-one with his marked, he navigated the challenge and flashed to net.
It proved to be the home sides only score in a 23 minute spell of mostly Wexford dominance. Still, they had to prove their superiority on the scoreboard. Luke Kavanagh notched an important point into the teeth of the breeze to tie the game in the 51st minute.
When Dylan O’Neill broke away in the 54th minute he could have had his own shot at goal, however, he recognised that Cian Byrne was in a better position, the pass was perfect and the Fethard attacker made no mistake with the finish, despite getting floored in the process of shooting.
Conor Foley made it 3-11 to 2-10 in added-time and while Luke Egan closed his side within a major, Offaly failed to create another goal chance and Wexford went back to Slaneyside with an opening win.
With the championship now round-robin, Wexford have very little time to contemplate this success, they are back in action with a home game against Kilkenny in Bellefield on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. throw-in).
OFFALY: Adam Fitzgerald; J.J. O’Brien, Kelan Rigney, Conor Hardiman; Joe Hoctor, Luke Egan (0-1), Joe Ryan; Jack Screeney (capt., 0-8 frees), Sam Burke (0-1); Luke Wyer, Luke Nolan, Charlie Mitchell; Niall Lyons (1-1), Dan Murray (1-0), Mark Troy. Subs. - D.J. Loughlin for Wyer (37), David Tooher for Troy (50), Darragh Flynn for Screeney (58), also, Paul Cleary, David Murray, Luke Watkins, Sean Buckley, Ronan Cleary, Luke Carey.
WEXFORD: Cian Byrne (St Mary’s Rosslare); Dylan Whelan, Emmett Cullen, Owen Lennon; Kyle Scallan, Cian Molloy (0-1 free), David Codd; Jack Kirwan, Diarmuid O’Leary; Luke Kavanagh (1-2), Dylan O’Neill (0-1), Conor Foley (0-2); Paddy Whitty, Josh Sheil (0-1), A.J. Redmond (13, 0-3 frees). Subs. - Cian Byrne (Fethard, 1-1) for Whitty (28), Richie Lawlor for Sheil (43), Justin Moran for Codd (46), Eoin Kavanagh for C. Byrne (Fethard), temp (55-59), E. Kavanagh for L. Kavanagh (60+6).
REFEREE: Barry Nea (Westmeath).