Rampant Wexford ease home

Carlow crushed to set up showdown against Kilkenny

THE WEXFORD Senior hurlers took care of business in the best possible manner before 7,034 onlookers at a sun-baked Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday, taking immediate control with an early goal and going on to dish out an unmerciful 26-point hammering to an outclassed Carlow team.

It was an assured display from start to finish, and it leaves the Keith Rossiter-managed team in a much better place than last year ahead of the final-round showdown with Kilkenny.

On that occasion, the home win on an afternoon fraught with anxiety ensured Wexford avoided demotion to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

This time around, a repeat victory will secure a Leinster final spot and, even if the hosts prevail, that third-place finish and qualification for the All-Ireland series looks to be an attainable target.

While a Wexford defeat plus a draw between Dublin and Galway would result in fourth place and a bitter exit, the majority of the other possible permutations and combinations are leaning in favour of the Slaneysiders, who looked fresh and eager after the welcome and much-needed break since beating Galway.

In contrast, Carlow didn’t come remotely close to repeating the heroics that secured a draw with Kilkenny at the same venue seven days earlier.

They were a beaten docket from a very early stage, but Wexford’s approach deserves credit as they were intent on hammering home their obvious advantage by securing as many scores as possible.

And that may yet prove a key factor, because it means their score difference is nine points better than Dublin’s ahead of the ‘Super Sunday’ to come.

That could be the difference between qualification and demotion in the event of wins for Kilkenny and Galway that would seal their final spots, unless our losing margin exceeds that of Micheál Donoghue’s side by more than three goals.

With so many possibilities, perhaps it’s best to keep it simple and just focus on the rewards a win would bring.

That galling loss to Antrim feels like a long time ago now, and Wexford’s form since has been more impressive than a Kilkenny side who followed up that draw in Carlow with a hard-earned late win over the Dubs on Saturday.

History has shown us that clashes with our closest rivals tend to take various twists and turns, often unexpected, and no doubt the latest showdown in UPMC Nowlan Park will offer more of the same.

The injured Jack O’Connor and the suspended Cian Byrne were replaced from the starting line-up against Galway by Cathal Dunbar and Mikie Dwyer, and a flurry of early scores kept everyone on their toes.

Remarkably, three points were posted after a mere 47 seconds, with Rory O’Connor’s opener drawing replies from Richie Coady and Chris Nolan before Wexford made a major breakthrough and never looked back.

Carlow netminder Brian Tracey was punished for dallying over a clearance, with Conor McDonald applying a close-range finish after just shy of 90 frenetic seconds to set the tone.

What followed was a pleasure to watch for the most part, with Wexford’s clinical efficiency in picking off points – especially from long range – at a level that they have seldom, if ever, reached before.

The weakness of the Carlow challenge cannot be ignored in that regard, because the rampant winners were able to create space and freedom at will and that surely won’t happen next Sunday.

Marty Kavanagh’s first-half misses from a couple of frees that he would normally convert in his sleep highlighted the hosts’ struggles.

The always-excellent Chris Nolan, along with Good Counsel teacher Conor Kehoe, were the only pair to consistently carry the fight to their neighbours, but this was an afternoon to forget for a Carlow side who now face a tricky assignment away to Antrim, with the loser giving up top-flight status.

Wexford only struck three firsthalf wides, and they led by 1-8 to 0-3 at the time the first arrived, from Rory O’Connor, in the twelfth minute.

With 14 different players making the scoresheet, including four substitutes, it was clear that the workload was evenly spread and nobody shirked responsibility in the sun-baked arena.

Fans saw looking on as an energy-sapping exercise, so one can only imagine how tough it was to perform at full tilt on the field.

And yet, Wexford made it look quite easy at times, with Lee Chin, O’Connor and Richie Lawlor adding the first three points after McDonald’s goal as they kept Carlow on the back foot.

Mark Fanning played a short free to Damien Reck, got the return pass and hammered it over the bar with interest in the eighth minute, and there was no slackening on the part of the leaders as Chin added two frees on either side of a first score for Cathal Dunbar.

It was exhibition stuff at times and, in truth, the on-field fare looked more like a pitch opening from days of yore rather than a full-blooded championship contest as Wexford extended their lead to 1-16 to 0-4 as early as the 21st minute.

Chin converted three more frees and added one from play, with Damien Reck, Rory O’Connor, Conor McDonald and Conor Hearne also joining in the fun as the points flew over relentlessly from an assortment of distances and angles.

Carlow did produce a very brief purple patch, when two Marty Kavanagh pointed frees preceded a Conor Kehoe goal after latching on to the break from a long ball in the 26th minute (1-16 to 1-6), but normal service was quickly resumed.

Wexford added five of the six points that followed before halftime to hold a 1-21 to 1-7 advantage, with McDonald, Hearne and O’Connor doing the needful from play while Chin brought his personal haul to nine via a couple of frees.

One aspect of following this team that we have learned, often from bitter experience, is that anything can happen, and often does.

Therefore, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one dealt a flashback to last year’s Westmeath collapse when the gap reached 17 points inside seven minutes of the restart after Chin (free), Liam Ryan and McDonald added the first three unanswered scores (1-24 to 1-7).

A solo effort from Cathal Dunbar widened the margin to 18, and there was no need to gaze into that rear-view mirror for too long because the players had the correct approach and weren’t going to be humiliated again.

It was 1-27 to 1-10, after additional Wexford points from Liam Óg McGovern and Chin (free), when Marty Kavanagh went low from a placed ball, but Damien Reck comfortably cleared his lines.

That occurred in the 51st minute, and some followers were already heading for the exit gates by that early stage.

Wexford sought a second goal, with Cathal Dunbar accounting for one of their seven wides after the break when he was put off by a tackle at the end of the third quarter.

Carlow netminder Brian Tracey advanced smartly to smother a McDonald attempt after Séamus Casey – the first substitute introduced – and Rory O’Connor combined, but the persistence would eventually pay off.

First up were points from Chin (free), Damien Reck and O’Connor as Wexford hit the pleasing 30 mark, and when the goal did arrive it had a ‘Made In Gorey’ feel to it.

Carlow’s Scott Treacy struck a wide, and Mark Fanning’s puckout was caught by Charlie McGuckin in his first involvement after coming off the bench.

He released Naomh Éanna colleague Cathal Dunbar who handpassed to his right for Conor McDonald, and the on-form attacker brought his tally to an impressive 2-3 from play with an ice-cool finish after a Gorey 1-2-3 (2-30 to 1-11).

Given the stifling heat, it was no surprise that the Wexford replacements went on to enjoy themselves in the scoring stakes, with Kevin Foley, Casey and McGuckin contributing along with a brace from Tomás ‘Tucker’ Kinsella on his championship debut.

And just to cap a dreadful day for Carlow, they were a little unlucky to finish with 14 men after John Michael Nolan collected a second yellow for a foul on captain Chin in the 65th minute.

The buzz of anticipation is growing with every passing minute as Sunday’s 2 p.m. throw-in draws near.

And with no threat of relegation on the table this year, a Wexford team that has performed to such a high level in their two most recent outings can play with abandon and hopefully repeat the four-point win over Kilkenny at the same venue two years ago.

Should that happen, then the summer months will be full of possibilities, but we won’t get ahead of ourselves for the time being.

Wexford: Mark Fanning (Glynn-Barntown, 0-1); Shane Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Matthew O’Hanlon (St. James’), Liam Ryan (Rapparees, 0-1); Eoin Ryan (St. Anne’s), Damien Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien, 0-2), Conor Foley (Horeswood); Conor Hearne (Shelmaliers, 0-2), Richie Lawlor (Faythe Harriers, 0-1); Liam Óg McGovern (St. Anne’s, 0-1), Rory O’Connor (St. Martin’s, 0-5), Cathal Dunbar (Naomh Éanna, 0-2); Conor McDonald (Naomh Éanna, 2-3), Lee Chin (Faythe Harriers, capt., 0-13, 10 frees), Mikie Dwyer (Fethard). Subs. – Séamus Casey (Oylegate-Glenbrien, 0-1) for Dwyer (42), Kevin Foley (Rapparees, 0-1) for Lawlor (57), Charlie McGuckin (Naomh Éanna, 0-1) for McGovern (61), Simon Donohoe (Shelmaliers) for L. Ryan (66), Tomás Kinsella (Askamore, 0-2) for Chin (68), also Aaron Duggan (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Conor Devitt (Tara Rocks), Niall Murphy (Ferns St. Aidan’s), Darragh Carley (Glynn-Barntown), Paudie Casey (Oylegate-Glenbrien), James Byrne (Askamore).

Carlow: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Conor Lawlor; Tony Lawlor, Kevin McDonald (capt.), Niall Bolger; Jack McCullagh, Richie Coady (0-1); Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Chris Nolan (0-4), Conor Kehoe (1-2); Paddy Boland (0-1), John Michael Nolan, Marty Kavanagh (0-5 frees). Subs. – James Doyle for McCullagh (HT), Ciarán Whelan for Coady (HT), Jack Kavanagh for Fitzpatrick (44), Scott Treacy for J. Doyle, inj. (61), Jake Doyle for M. Kavanagh (69).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).

ALAN AHERNE, SPORTS EDITOR E-MAIL a.aherne@peoplenews.ie

DAVE DEVEREUX

E-MAIL d.devereux@peoplenews.ie