Hurlers exit from league, footballers bring up rear

THE NEWS wasn’t bright from the point of view of either of the inter-county Senior teams on this week in 2015.

The hurlers limped out of the Allianz League Division 1 title race at the quarter-final stage in Páirc Uí Rinn on March 29, only scoring one second-half point as Cork overtook them to triumph by 0-18 to 0-14.

Liam Dunne’s charges led by 0-13 to 0-7 at the break, but they struck wide after wide after the interval to make a disappointing exit.

Wind-aided Wexford had performed well in the opening half, with Lee Chin giving an outstanding display.

Indeed, he was one of the few players to maintain a high level for the entire duration of the game.

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Liam Ryan, Matthew O’Hanlon (capt.), Eoin Moore; David Redmond (0-1), Andrew Shore, Lee Chin; Diarmuid O’Keeffe (0-1), Daithí Waters (0-1); Ian Byrne (0-4 frees), Garrett Sinnott (0-1), Conor McDonald (0-3); Kevin Foley, Jack Guiney (0-2, 1 free), Liam Og McGovern (0-1). Subs. - Harry Kehoe for Byrne (36), Shane Tomkins for Sinnott (59), Conor Devitt for McGovern (65), Podge Doran for Foley (70).

Meanwhile, the footballers found themselves rock bottom of the Allianz League Division 3 table after a sparse crowd in Innovate Wexford Park saw them lose the fifth of their six outings to Fermanagh on a 1-12 to 0-7 scoreline.

David Power’s side started this crucial game knowing they needed two wins from their last two outings to harbour any realistic hopes of avoiding the dreaded drop.

Fermanagh had loftier ambitions, with promotion firmly in their sights, and they were handed a huge boost just before the interval when a Seán Quigley penalty goal stretched their advantage to 1-5 to 0-3.

Wexford never looked like bridging the gap thereafter as the Ulster side remained in control.

Wexford: Shane Roche; Simon Donohoe, Brian Malone, Michael Furlong; Páraic O’Keeffe, Kieran Butler, Adrian Flynn; Jamie Carty, Colm Kehoe; Niall Hughes, Ciarán Lyng (capt., 0-2, 1 free), Ben Brosnan (0-1); Tiarnan Rossiter (0-1), Michael O’Regan, Eoghan Nolan (0-1). Subs. - John Tubritt (0-1) for O’Keeffe (HT), Kevin O’Grady (0-1) for Carty (HT), Graham Carty for O’Regan (53), Graeme Cullen for Hughes (57).