Xtra man to no avail
Tory against the odds as Wexford falter
Fitzgerald applied the 0to0-4. he next home player charging, with Kelly before O’Donnell did ssure to finish off a assist (0-12 to 0-4). nd-half tactics were wind and extra man in en Reck was pushed sition. e of factors mitigated es of turning the tie rant shooting that led e break to bring their are had a mere five). ilure to fashion any oved their undoing. In ound it very difficult to ace that led to the sole in the 53rd minute. Joe O’Connor picked with Eoin Quirke from wing, with the Ferns and then back on to ting the posts. wo-point game, with a 0-13 to 0-11 advaney had leaked scores cond period. inted a free after 40 d Fitzgerald overcarck then providing the ores for the O’Connor Jack (0-12 to 0-7). f scare when a Tony ndcamedownoffthe a scramble before an wide. nued to build when shed a poor crossfield Eoin Quirke with a though the inaccurth missed chances raig Foley, the latter
ation of space, with ord players moving towards Jack O’Connor as he took a line ball under the stand, led to the next score.
He was able to glide a long crossfield strike to Mark Fanning who had read his intentions and had ample room to pick off a rare point from play (0-12 to 0-9).
O’Connor then lost a free in an incident that earned him a booking along with David Fitzgerald.
And he missed the placed ball that followed after he was tripped from the throw-in, while Cathal Dunbar also squandered a point attempt.
It took Clare more than 15 minutes to score in that second-half, with who else but Tony Kelly giving them a lift from a free after a surging run from wing-back Aidan McCarthy.
They had no time to relax all the same, as Fanning landed his long puck-out into the paw of Conor McDonald who immediately responded.
Morris then registered that point mentioned earlier, before McDonald converted a beauty from tight to the left sideline after good work by Rochford, Morris and McGovern (0-13 to 0-12).
Joe O’Connor conceded a cheap free when Shane O’Donnell was going nowhere, giving Kelly the opening to restore the two-point gap.
McGovern replied after a one-two with Kevin Foley who had received the puckout, but Jack O’Connor then missed a free before the brilliant Kelly robbed Shaun Murphy with a lightning flick and made it 0-15 to 0-13 with his first point from play.
Pádraig Foley knocked over a free after an Aidan Rochford wide, but David Fitzgerald hit his third point after Shane O’Donnell’s clever touch took the ball away from a Wexford opponent.
Kelly and Foley exchanged further scores from placed balls after a Rory O’Connor miss, leaving Clare 0-17 to 0-15 clear with two minutes of normal time left, and their rivals realistically needing a goal that never seemed likely.
And it was fitting that Kelly should latch on to the break after Foley’s score and pick off what proved to be the final point given his immense second-half contribution.
And even though the five added minutes that were announced grew to seven, Wexford could only muster wides from Kevin and Pádraig Foley (free), while Conor McDonald was penalised for a throw after he emerged from a scramble around the ‘D’.
Substitute Aidan Nolan was also crowded out after Cathal Dunbar tried to locate him to the left of the posts, and in truth the two points went where they belonged on a day when Clare were clearly the superior force.
Wexford: Mark Fanning (0-1); Joe O’Connor, Liam Ryan, Shane Reck; Damien Reck, Pádraig Foley (capt., 0-3 frees), Shaun Murphy; Aidan Rochford (0-1), Liam Óg McGovern (01); Rory O’Connor (0-2), Cathal Dunbar, Kevin Foley; Jack O’Connor (0-4, 3 frees), Conor McDonald (0-2), Paul Morris (0-1). Subs. - Aidan Nolan for McGovern (61), Harry Kehoe for D. Reck (64), also James Lawlor, Simon Donohoe, Conor Firman, Connal Flood, Jack Cullen, Andrew Shore, Seamus Casey, Gary Molloy, Mikie Dwyer.
Clare: Donal Tuohy; Jack Browne, Conor Cleary, Eoin Quirke; Aidan McCarthy, Pat O’Connor, Stephen O’Halloran; David McInerney, Tony Kelly (0-12, 10 frees); David Reidy, David Fitzgerald (0-3), Ian Galvin; Ryan Taylor (0-2), John Conlon (capt.), Shane O’Donnell (0-1). Subs. - Cathal Malone for Kelly, temp. (27-29), Domhnall McMahon for Galvin (46), Seadna Morey for Taylor (55), Malone for Reidy (60), Liam Corry for Quirke (68), Aaron Shanagher for O’Donnell (70+2).
Referee: Seán Cleere (Kilkenny).