Connolly’s stationed for treble
Wexford 1-15 Cork 3-21 Allianz HL Division 1A
ALAN CONNOLLY hit his second hat-trick in a week to help Cork swat aside Wexford with some ease at a soaked Chadwicks Wexford Park yesterday.
Last week the Blackrock man started his first game of 2024 after a long injury absence and hit three goals against Offaly. This week he was at it again.
It wasn’t enough to book a League semi-final place ahead of their April 21 Munster opener against Waterford but Cork are moving in the right direction, with 12 different scorers yesterday.
It could have been even more for Connolly and Cork but Wexford ‘keeper Mark Fanning had to be at his best to thwart several additional Cork goal shots.
The Rebels struck 1-3 without reply inside the first five minutes.
Connolly banged in a second goal on 26 minutes to open-up a 2-8 to 0-4 lead after Patrick Horgan broke down a delivery from corner-back Eoin Downey.
Cork goalie Patrick Collins drove a point from play almost the length of the field on the way to a 2-13 to 0-5 interval lead.
Alan Connolly sealed his hat-trick late on before Wexford hit a consolation goal when sub Mikie Dwyer fed Seamus Casey to net. WEXFORD: M Fanning (0-3f), S Donohoe, C Foley (0-1), E Ryan, D Carley (0-2), D Reck, M O’hanlon, C Hearne, S Reck, C Mcguckin, J O’connor, C Dunbar, K Foley, S Casey (1-9, 7f), C Byrne. SUBS: M Dwyer for Dunbar and L Og Mcgovern for Mcguckin both h-t; C Mcdonald for Byrne 49; T Kinsella for O’connor 55; N Murphy for Carley 69. CORK: P Collins (0-1), E Downey, D Cahalane, S O’donoghue, G Mellerick, C Joyce (0-1), R Downey (0-1), T O’connell (0-1), D Fitzgibbon, D Dalton, S Harnedy (0-1), B Hayes 0-2, P Horgan (0-8, 7f), A Connolly (3-2, one pen), S Barrett (0-1). SUBS: L Meade (0-1) for Fitzgibbon and B Roche for Harnedy both 49; C Lehane (0-1) for Dalton 55; S Kingston (0-1f) for Horgan 59; T O’mahony for R Downey 65. REFEREE: Liam Gordon (Galway).