Standing bogey to rest
WEXFORD V KILKENNY IN NOWLAN PARK Kilkenny cauldron to set up clash with Tipp
wrong with his forceful challenge.
The sides went in level (1-7 to 0-10) after Conor McDonald caught the ball over Pádraig Walsh and was duly fouled, with the Gorey ace doing the needful before producing even more heroics after the break.
Reid resumed at centre-forward, with Breen still in his slipstream, and the faith the mentors showed in their defenders following their men everywhere really paid off.
McDonald restored the lead from a free brought forward for dissent after Shane Prendergast climbed all over David Dunne, but Ollie Walsh levelled after a poor line ball from Diarmuid O’Keeffe.
Shaun Murphy and Jack O’Connor also shot wides in that early spell before McDonald made it 1-9 to 0-11 after Paddy Deegan coughed up possession, but Reid levelled once more from a 42nd-minute free.
Wexford’s ability to match a Kilkenny score with one of their own, and sometimes even more, was another hugely encouraging sign. And in this instance they responded with three on the trot to move 1-12 to 0-12 clear.
McDonald (free) was first to strike after Aidan Nolan was impeded, and Chin then played a clever short placed ball to Paul Morris who fired over a monster effort from distance.
The momentum was completely on Wexford’s side at that stage, and they had a chance to put some daylight between the sides when David Dunne latched on to a David Redmond pass in the 46th minute and was fouled in the act of striking the ball to the left of the posts. Mark Fanning darted upfield but was most unfortunate to see his penalty come back into play off the woodwork, but it didn’t unduly upset Wexford.
Indeed, after Reid missed a difficult free, McDonald displayed brilliant ball control to gather a Damien Reck clearance and leave three points between the teams.
He followed up with a wide, while Jack Guiney was introduced in between Kilkenny points from Reid (free) and Paddy Deegan which cut the gap to the minimum (1-12 to 0-14).
Eoin Murphy smothered a McDonald shot after Aidan Nolan put him through, with Guiney delivering a wide before Fanning landed a long-range free between the posts after a foul on Damien Reck.
Matthew O’Hanlon made a vital hook on Ollie Walsh, although Reid converted a free in the follow-up after Fanning was penalised (1-13 to 0-15).
Morris and O’Keeffe shot wides on either side of another glorious point from McDonald after a short Chin pass 64 metres out.
Fanning converted another free earned by Willie Devereux, and the gap was finally widened to four when Chin availed of a pass from James Breen who was having the game of his life.
It was tight and tense down the home stretch, with McDonald responding to an Ollie Walsh point before Reid (free) and Blanchfield reduced arrears to 1-17 to 0-18 by the 65th minute.
Chin broke on to the puck-out after that second score and split the posts before Reid missed a decent chance from a free on the left wing.
And while he atoned from closer to goal, Matthew O’Hanlon caught a dangerous delivery before the arrival of the clinching goal mere seconds into the three added minutes.
It came once again from a free deep within his own half taken by Fanning, with Jack Guiney lurking with intent around the square and providing a major distraction as the ball ended up in the net after a deflection.
A Reid pull went wide seconds before the full-time whistle saw Nowlan Park erupt to the sound of elated Slaneyside supporters.
It had been a long time coming, and let’s hope it’s the first of many big knockout wins in a hurling year that has grabbed the attention of the public already.
Wexford: Mark Fanning (1-2 frees); Willie Devereux, Liam Ryan, Damien Reck; James Breen, Matthew O’Hanlon (joint capt.), Diarmuid O’Keeffe (0-1); Aidan Nolan, Jack O’Connor; Paul Morris (0-3), Lee Chin (joint capt., 0-3, 1 free), David Redmond (0-1); Shaun Murphy, Conor McDonald (0-8, 4 frees), David Dunne (1-0). Subs. - Jack Guiney for Redmond (53), Harry Kehoe for O’Connor (59), Barry Carton for Morris (70), Aaron Maddock for Nolan (70+1).
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Pádraig Walsh, Shane Prendergast; Lester Ryan, Jason Cleere, Paddy Deegan (capt., 0-1); Ollie Walsh (0-2), Cillian Buckley (0-1); Colin Fennelly, Walter Walsh (0-1), T.J. Reid (0-10, 9 frees); Liam Blanchfield (0-3), Richie Hogan (0-1), Conor Martin. Sub. - Jonjo Farrell for Ryan (49).
Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway).