S heart-warming win
Oles as Wexford beat our keenest rivals
excellent tracking back by Jack O’Connor saw him dispossess the menacing Walter Walsh.
That led to a late challenge on Pádraig Foley who sent over the free that followed, while Mark Fanning did well to dart off his line and deny Martin Keoghan a decent chance after Billy Ryan sent a dangerous delivery into his fellow attacker’s path.
Kevin Foley won the puck-out after a Simon Donohoe wide and fed Aidan Nolan to make it 1-5 to 0-1 in the 17th minute.
And Nolan also featured heavily in the next two scores, winning a free for Morris to knock over before his lovely sidestep from a Donohoe pass gave him the time and space to slap over his second point.
After Alan Murphy and Morris swapped points from frees, the persistence of Liam Óg McGovern in chasing Billy Ryan eventually led to the Kilkenny attacker losing possession as he made tracks for goal.
Missed frees from distance by Pádraig Foley and Mark Fanning followed, but Jack O’Connor caught the puck-out after the latter and made it a ten-point game in the 29th minute (1-9 to 0-2).
It was at this stage that Wexford lost their way somewhat, with the fact that Kilkenny scored four of the five points before half-time an issue that will no doubt be addressed at training this week.
John Donnelly flicked over first-time off his hurl before Richie Hogan opened his account, and a rash decision by Aidan Nolan to throw his stick led to a pointed free for Alan Murphy (1-9 to 0-5).
Paul Morris responded after a foul on McGovern, but Kilkenny had the last word before the break when a Cillian Buckley centre found Walter Walsh who zipped his shot over from a tight angle on the right (1-10 to 0-6).
Would seven points be enough given the strength of that wind? It quickly became eight, courtesy of Morris from an Aidan Nolan lay-off, but the puck-out that followed led to the Kilkenny goal.
Billy Ryan picked the pocket of Simon Donohoe before firing high to the top left of the net, and a monster pointed free followed from netminder Darren Brennan to reduce arrears to 1-11 to 1-7.
Walter Walsh had a goal bid blocked, but the momentum was well and truly with Kilkenny as they reeled off the next five points, courtesy of Martin Keoghan, Alan Murphy (free), a quickfire Richie Hogan brace, and the lead point from John Donnelly in the 51st minute.
Everyone knew that Wexford’s mettle would be well and truly tested from that point onwards. And their method thereafter had to be admired, outscoring Kilkenny by 0-5 to 0-2 into the teeth of the breeze to get their qualification hopes back on track.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Joe O’Connor, Liam Ryan (joint capt.), Simon Donohoe; Shaun Murphy, Pádraig Foley (0-1 free), Damien Reck (0-1); Liam Óg McGovern, Aidan Rochford; Jack O’Connor (0-3), Aidan Nolan (0-2), Kevin Foley; Cathal Dunbar, Conor McDonald (joint capt., 1-1), Paul Morris (0-7, 6 frees). Subs. - Rory O’Connor for Dunbar (45), Lee Chin for McGovern (45), Diarmuid O’Keeffe (0-1) for Nolan (50), Matthew O’Hanlon for Reck (65), Mikie Dwyer for Jack O’Connor (67), also James Lawlor, Shane Reck, Conor Firman, Harry Kehoe, Gary Molloy, Connal Flood.
Kilkenny: Darren Brennan (0-1 free); Conor Browne, Huw Lawlor, Ciarán Wallace; Conor Delaney, Paddy Deegan (0-1), Cillian Buckley; James Maher (0-1), Michael Carey; John Donnelly (0-2), Alan Murphy (0-4 frees), Martin Keoghan (0-1); Billy Ryan (1-0), Richie Hogan (0-3), Walter Walsh (capt., 0-1). Subs. - Darren Mullen for Carey (53), Bill Sheehan for Hogan (57), Michael Cody for Maher (64).
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).