A big morale booster
Champions with gutsy late comeback
ne way and then the ering his first point in nt from play finally minute, from Adam dy Small lay-off, and ed their second from s. unger of the Malone ded one in between Robert Frayne, before ned and converted a d with that deserved ead. ery process got under mall latched on to an and pointed in the was fouled and duly rs, but a point effort gan came back off the e did well to smother te Andy McGowan. under a great deal of d momentarily when bbed their first score ee in the 51st minute an Malone earned a eegan (1-10 to 0-8). ke a brief respite from val when midfielder e popped up with a oints, and the margin er a neat score via the oot from the versatile aring number 4, but ard before moving in a bid to curb the Waters. m Paddy Small and latter a superb kick ally brought Dublin ve handed them the nswer provided by bit as encouraging ce before the break, admirably to that late adversity to inflict that first defeat on the now-deposed Dubs since 1997 - going one better than two years ago when the sides drew (2-6 to 0-12) at the same venue.
Wexford were awarded 18 of the 39 frees, and the teams kicked five wides each, with the winners’ first and last courtesy of match-winner Barry O’Connor, while Paul Curtis, Craig McCabe and Robert Frayne were responsible for the others in between.
Wexford: Pa Doyle (Starlights); Conor Carty (Castletown), Mark O’Neill (Gusserane), Jim Rossiter (St. Fintan’s); Glen Malone (Shelmaliers, 0-1), Brian Malone (Shelmaliers, 0-1), Barry O’Gorman (Taghmon-Camross); Daithí Waters (St. Martin’s, capt., 1-0), Nick Doyle (Starlights); Tiarnan Rossiter (St. Mary’s, Rosslare, 0-1), Barry O’Connor (St. Martin’s, 0-2), Robert Frayne (Duffry Rovers, 0-1); Cathal Devereux (Our Lady’s Island, 0-2 frees), Paul Curtis (Clongeen), Craig McCabe (Shelmaliers, 0-4, 3 frees, 1 ‘45). Subs. - James Stafford (Glynn-Barntown) for Frayne (51), Ben Brosnan (Castletown) for Waters (55), Donnacha Holmes (Castletown) for Devereux (60), Darragh Pepper (Starlights) for Curtis (64), Eoghan Nolan (Shelmaliers) for Stafford (64), Alan Nolan (Taghmon-Camross) for Carty, inj. (66), also Conor Swaine (Horeswood), Martin O’Connor (HWH-Bunclody), Gavin Sheehan (Gusserane), Quinn Saunders (Our Lady’s Island), Dylan Furlong (Sarsfields).
Dublin: John Brian Carthy; Ross McGowan, Eoin O’Brien, Craig Wilson; David Devereux, Graham Hannigan, Seán McMahon; Emmet O Conghaile (0-2), Seamus Ryan; Gerry Seaver, Colm Basquel (0-5 frees), Glenn O’Reilly (0-1); Paddy Small (0-3, 2 frees), Brian Howard (0-1), Adam Rogers (0-1). Subs. - Shane Carthy for Ryan, inj. (27), Andy McGowan for O’Reilly (HT), Darragh Kennedy for R. McGowan (HT), Ryan Deegan for S. Carthy, inj. (HT), Colin Doyle for Hannigan (45), Kevin Callaghan (0-1) for Seaver (48), Tom Quinn for Devereux (49), Chris Carty for Rogers (56), Niall Walsh for C. Carty (70+3).
Referee: David Hickey (Carlow).