Dunne helps Offaly end dry spell

OFFALY 1-13 WEXFORD 1-10

OFFALY manager Stephen Wallace was full of praise for his players after watching them end their four-match barren spell with victory in Enniscorthy on Saturday.

“We were the superior side and should have been out of sight by half-time, but it’s hard to give out to the players,” said Wallace.

In contrast, Wexford manager Paul McLoughlin was not at all pleased.

“We were simply not good enough. We are not bringing our game on, while our discipline is letting us down,” he said.

Wexford fired the opening points through Eoghan Nolan and a Brosnan free, but once two Nigel Dunne points had the sides level, it was Offaly who assumed control and with Cian Donohue’s 29th-minute goal they led 1-5 to 0-3 at the interval.

Wexford added points from Glen Malone and Nick Doyle, while Nigel Dunne responded with a point in between, leaving Offaly leading 1-6 to 0-5.

Barry O’Connor kicked a point on his introduction, and when a John Tubritt effort reduced the deficit to 1-7 to 0-8 after 49 minutes, it looked as if the home side were about to take control. However, with Dunne kicking over two points Offaly tightened their grip, and even a Nick Doyle goal could not rock them as they responded with points from Dunne and Shane Tierney.

SCORERS – Offaly: N Dunne 0-8 (2Fs); C Donoghue 1-0; N Darby, P Cunningham, M Brazil, A Sullivan, S Tierney 0-1 each.

Wexford: N Doyle 1-1; J Tubritt 0-3 (1f); E Nolan 0-2; G Malone, N Rossiter, B Brosnan (1f), B O’Connor 0-1 each.

WEXFORD – C Swaine 7; C Carty 7, J Rossiter 7, M Furlong 6; G Malone 7, N Rossiter 6, T Rossiter 6; N Doyle 7, B Malone 7; R Frayne 6, J Stafford 6, B Brosnan 5; C McCabe 6, E Nolan 7, J Tubritt 7. Subs: M O’Neill 6 for T Rossiter (42); B O’Connor 7 for Stafford (42); C Devereux 6 for McCabe (52); B O’Gorman 6 for Frayne (55).

OFFALY – P Dunican 7; D Hogan 7, P McConway 7, S Pender 6; D Dempsey 7, J Lalor 7, N Darby

7; P Cunningham 7, M Brazil 7; C McNamee 6, A Sullivan 7, C Donohue 7; B Allen 7, C Carroll 7, N Dunne 8. Subs: S Tierney 7 for Allen (Black card 37); J Hayes 7 for Brazil (49); C Dunne 6 for McNamee (57); S Doyle 6 for Pender (62); S Nally for Donohue (66)

REF – J Hickey (Carlow)