To a positive start
ROUND 1, IN INNOVATE WEXFORD PARK exford recover from goal concession
gave P.J. Banville the chance to bring the teams level in the 31st minute.
Interestingly, the only mark of the half was claimed close to the break by Limerick midfielder Brian Fanning, but he then lost his advantage and the ball was thrown-in. Likewise, the sole example in the second period came during that exciting conclusion, courtesy of Daithí Waters, but once more the referee intervened. It seems that the five-second rule, whereby players must do something with their possession in that spell, hasn’t quite registered yet.
It was important for Wexford to continue that good run on the restart, and to their credit they picked up again where they had left off with points from Eoghan Nolan and P.J. Banville, after Daithí Waters won a throw-in on the ‘45 and was fouled before the ball was moved forward for dissent.
Banville let Limerick off the hook when another free came back off the post, and the visitors then lost Seán McSweeney to a black card for a trip on Kevin O’Grady. This time Banville’s effort drifted wide on the right, and it took a moment of brilliance from Shane Roche in the 48th minute to maintain the lead.
The ball was given away cheaply at midfield, with Seamus O’Carroll and Jamie Lee combining to create some space for Danny Neville whose stinging drive was kept out acrobatically by the versatile number one.
It was a key moment in the game, with Banville joining the four Limerick players on yellow cards before Ger Collins pointed a free to leave one between them (0-8 to 0-7).
A weak punch by Collins, from a Danny Neville cross, was comfortably saved by Roche before the home side started a run of four vital points between the 51st and 56th minutes.
John Tubritt began the purple patch from a Brian Malone handpass before Shane Roche’s second attempt at a ’45, after his first struck the foot of Limerick netminder Donal O’Sullivan, made it 10-7.
Lyng then provided the pass for Banville’s sole score from play after rival midfielder Brian Fanning touched the ball on the ground, and a Daithí Waters interception ended with Lyng bearing down on goal and taking the correct option by fisting it over the bar.
The job wasn’t quite done though, with Eoghan Nolan kicking a wide and collecting a booking on either side of Limerick’s eighth point, from a Jamie Lee free.
Danny Neville’s goal with four minutes of normal time left was a real jolt to the Wexford senses, but the character shown in the closing stages was as heart-warming as the victory itself as the game ended with a deserved three-point victory for Banty’s boys.
Wexford: Shane Roche (0-1 ‘45); Brian Malone, Jim Rossiter, Michael Furlong; Tiarnan Rossiter (0-1), John Leacy, Eoghan Nolan (0-2); Daithí Waters (capt.), Colm Kehoe (0-1); P.J. Banville (0-5, 4 frees), Paul Curtis, Kevin O’Grady; Ciarán Lyng (0-3, 1 free), James Stafford, John Tubritt (0-1). Subs. - Jake Firman for Curtis (59), Naomhan Rossiter for Nolan (68).
Limerick: Donal O’Sullivan; Daniel Daly, Johnny McCarthy, Seán O’Dea; Paul White, Iain Corbett (capt.), Cillian Fahy; David Ward, Brian Fanning; Peter Nash, Ger Collins (0-3, 2 frees), Danny Neville (1-1); Seán McSweeney, Seamus O’Carroll (0-2), Jamie Lee (0-2, 1 free). Subs. - Garrett Noonan for Daly, black card (18), Brian Donovan for Nash (HT), Cian Sheehan for Ward (44), James Naughton for McSweeney, black card (47), Pádraig Quinn for Fahy (62), Barry Lynch for Lee (67).
Referee: Alan Kissane (Waterford).