Six out of six!
Wexford on top in Down
Clara Donnelly, with the Castletown youngster smashing her finish into the top corner to make it 1-2 to nil.
Either side of two scores from the excellent Kate McKay, Chloe Foxe popped over the first of six points from a close-range free. She added another in the 17th minute but Megan Doherty quickly replied to cut the gap to four.
Clara Donnelly and Niamh Moore set Foxe away in the 22nd minute and she netted with a cool finish to give Wexford a 2-4 to 0-3 lead. McKay pulled one back but Kearney and two more Foxe points seemed to have the visitors comfortable.
However, a sloppy pass in defence was seized upon and dispatched to Mary Rose Kelly’s net by Jess Foy. It meant that just six points separated the sides at the interval, despite Wexford’s dominance (2-7 to 1-4).
Down threw on their big guns at the start of the second period and one in particular impressed. Sorcha McCartan proved a handful for the Wexford defence and she soon got on the scoresheet, replying to a Foxe free.
Rochford made it 2-9 to 1-5 before Aisling Murphy seemed to have put the game to bed after beating a trio of defenders and firing to the Down net.
However, McCartan replied in kind and a pair of her points, coupled with one from Aoife Keown, narrowed the deficit to four (3-9 to 2-8).
Under pressure with ten minutes left, Wexford unleashed Caitríona Murray from the bench. However, it was a Foxe free that stemmed the flow of Down scores and an Aisling Murphy point that put the seal on victory in added-time.
Top spot means a semi-final opposite fourth-placed Kildare, the team which has ran Wexford the closest so far this season. The duo met in Hawkfield in February with Masterson’s side emerging as 4-8 to 3-8 winners. That game will be played on April 21 or 22.
Wexford: Mary Rose Kelly; Shauna Murphy, Niamh Mernagh, Marguerite Doyle; Georgina Hearn, Róisín Murphy, Cathy O’Brien; Kellie Kearney (0-2), Bernie Breen; Clara Donnelly (capt.), Fiona Rochford (0-2), Niamh Moore; Chloe Foxe (1-6, 0-5 frees), Aisling Murphy (1-1), Cailín Fitzpatrick (1-0). Subs. - Caitríona Murray for Moore, also Fiona Bennett, Niamh Butler, Ellen O’Brien, Ciara Ryan, Anne Byrne, Lauren Cousins.
Down: Aishling Burns; Hannah Murray, Aimee Green, Laura Morgan; Cara Cunningham, Megan O’Boyle, Chara Laverty (capt.); Meghan Doherty (0-1), Clara Mulvenna; Aoibheann McCarville, Jess Foy (1-0), Aoife Keown (0-1); Cassie Moade, Kate McKay (03), Brea McKee. Subs. - Róisín Tormey for O’Boyle, Orla Byrne for Green, Sorcha McCartan (1-3) for Maone, Adair Traynor for Mulvenna, Leah Mulligan for Cunningham, Laoise Duffy for McCarville, Niamh Price for Morgan, Gráinne McClean for B. McKee.
Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo). DESPITE A spirited first-half display, Wexford slipped to a comprehensive defeat to Meath in their opening clash in Group A of the Leinster ladies’ football Under-16 championship.
This is heady company for the Slaneysiders, as they have been placed in the top tier group alongside Dublin, Kildare and Saturday’s opponents in Dunganny, so games are going to be difficult and opposition is sure to be strong.
However, they gave a very good account of themselves, particularly in the first-half with the breeze at their backs.
In the engine room for Wexford, there was plenty of hard work put in by Juliet Rochford, Susan Boyle and Michelle Kinsella.
Liadh Dwyer had her hands full with the superb Emma Duggan but she never shirked the task of taking on Meath’s best attacker. Nicole Harding-Kenny and Aoife Bridges also defended well for the visitors against their potent opponents.
In attack, Orla Kehoe, Joey Gahan and Aoife Cullen all stood out for Wexford but against the wind the Slaneysiders didn’t have the same level of performance and Meath were able to show their class.
It started a little slowly as Wexford fell 1-3 to nil behind and later they were 2-6 to 0-1 in arrears, but slowly they came into their own.
Sophie Boxwell scored two superb goals, dipping a pair of unstoppable shots right under the crossbar.
As a bit of an unfashionable hard-worker that rarely gets into goal-scoring position, it was unusual for Juliet Rochford to net but she did just that as Wexford grew in confidence.
A goal from new squad member Orla Kehoe ensured her side trailed by just three (3-8 to 4-2) at the break.
Wexford had lost Kelly Anne Dempsey to injury in the opening half and it didn’t help their cause at all.
Meath, with Emma Duggan majestic, racked up the points and drove out to a comfortable winning margin in the end.
There’s not much time for Wexford to work on things to improve, as they are right back in action this weekend.
They travel to Dublin for round two on Sunday to take on a side which already has a win on the board against Kildare.
Wexford squad (starting 15/ complete scorers not provided): Aoife Dunne, Shauna Hackett, Shauna Nolan, Aoife Bridges, Loren Doyle, Lorna Fortune, Kelly Anne Dempsey, Juliet Rochford, Susan Boyle, Rachel Power, Josephine Gahan, Aoife Cullen, Orla Kehoe, Sarah Hobbert, Niamh McHugh, Kate O Reilly, Liadh Dwyer, Michelle Kinsella, Aine Redmond, Ciara Murphy, Nicole Harding-Kenny, Shauna White, Sarah O’Donoghue, Ava Pierce, Aine Murphy, Sophie Boxwell, Katie Kehoe, Elsa Hughes, Maeve Sinnott, Aoife Wafer.
Meath: Clara McCanna; Saoirse O’Kane, Ali Sherlock, Aoibhe Monaghan; Caragh Monaghan, Mollie Browne (0-2), Alice McGrath; Aisling McCabe, Aoife Delaney; Louise Coyne (0-3), Olivia Gore (0-1), Eimear Faye; Méadhbh Byrne (0-1), Alannah Boland (0-2), Emma Duggan (4-9). Subs. - Aideen Jones (0-2), Ellen Grant, Aoibhinn Bracken, Lauren Donnelly, Orla Finnegan, Zoe Kirwan. Referee: Jason Corcoran (Kildare). FIXTURES
THURS. APRIL 5 Division 4 league (6.30 p.m.): Bannow-Ballymitty v. St. Martin’s.
FRI. APRIL 6 Under-14 Division 3 (6.30 p.m.): Davidstown-Courtnacuddy v. Baile Dubh Tíre. SAT. APRIL 7 VENUE TBC: Leinster Under-14 championship, Laois v. Wexford, time TBC.
SUN. APRIL 8 VENUE TBC: Lidl NL Division 3, Offaly v. Wexford, time TBC.
VENUE TBC: Leinster Under-16 championship, Dublin v. Wexford, time TBC. MON. APRIL 9 Minor Division 2 (7.30 p.m.): Castletown v. Clonee.