Second defeat ensures exit

Wexford left to focus on new-look Corden Cup series

CATHAL LEE’S goal in the 15th minute ultimately made all the difference as Laois ended Wexford’s interest in the EirGrid Leinster Under-20 football championship with this hard-earned three-point Group 2 win in miserable weather conditions in McCauley Park, Bellefield on Tuesday.

Free-flowing moves were in short supply as players struggled to keep their footing on a sodden night, but the visitors’ approach work was top notch on this occasion as they reacted in style to an equalising point from a Will Foley free.

Cormac Murphy, Darragh Slevin, Jonah Kelly and Slevin again combined to split the Wexford defence wide open, before the latter popped the final pass to wing-forward Lee who finished in style (1-1 to 0-1).

The hosts should be annoyed at their failure to lay a hand on any of that quartet, with the only contact by a Wexford player supplied by Cormac Kiely earlier in the move when he bounced off a physically strong opponent in an attempted challenge.

That goal was the difference in the end, and a second defeat in seven days – coupled with Wicklow’s win over Carlow on the same night – means that Anthony Russell’s side won’t be involved in the knockout stages of the provincial championship.

However, they do have a consolation to aim for, as the Andrew Corden Cup – played in previous years as a tournament before the Leinster series – has been re-purposed as a means of entry into a new Tier 2 All-Ireland championship.

It will cater for the third- and fourth-placed group finishers, with a maximum of five teams entitled to partake as Dublin, Kildare and Meath are deemed ineligible.

A win against Carlow this Tuesday would have left Wexford in a semi-final against the third-placed finishers in Group 1, where the points tallies after two rounds read: Louth 4; Kildare 2; Offaly 2; Longford 0.

That game is scheduled for April 23 whereas, in the event of a loss, the Slaneysiders would have to play a quarter-final against the bottom-placed Group 1 side seven days earlier.

The overall record at this level in recent years makes for unpleasant reading, as this was the county’s sixth straight loss since the first round win over Carlow in 2021.

We haven’t posed a real threat in the Under-20 grade since the 2019 side beat Wicklow and Louth before losing heavily to Dublin in the Leinster semi-final, captained by Eoin Porter and also featuring Darragh Brooks, Gavin Sheehan, Liam O’Connor, Liam Coleman and Seán Nolan.

A clear problem is evident after analysing the results, namely our struggles in the scoring department. Remarkably, a Wexford team hasn’t hit double-digits in points since that campaign five years ago when Louth were beaten in the quarter-final by 3-10 to 0-16.

Our tallies since then were: 0-6; 3-8 (in a 2020 win versus Carlow); 1-5; 2-9 (again beating Carlow, in 2021); 1-9; 1-7; 0-8; 1-9; 1-7, and 0-9 last Tuesday.

And looking at the formation in this latest defeat – with all 15 players behind the ball for prolonged periods when Laois had possession – it’s not difficult to see why we find it so hard to hit the target.

It seems like our only tactic is a hopeful one of trying to force turnovers and hit the opposition on the break.

However, the time of year militates against that, because it’s a lot easier to enact on a firm summer sod as opposed to the muck and slop of March and April.

The nine points in this defeat included four from placed balls by top-scoring goalkeeper Will Foley, another free from Liam Donoghue, plus one apiece from both midfielders and a corner-back.

That left Dylan Cooke-Leonard’s 50th-minute effort as the sole score to arrive from a starting forward, and surely that is enough evidence that the gameplan is not working.

While it may be succeeding in keeping Wexford in contention in games, that’s not translating into wins so it has to be deemed an overall failure.

I’ve no doubt players at this level would love to express themselves and concentrate more on front-foot football, and it would be a positive step for their development and to maintain their interest to see them getting the freedom to do exactly that in this Corden Cup.

The tactics deployed by this team are tough to watch and, given the results, they’re unlikely to be filling the players with much joy either.

In fairness to Wexford, they have been dealt a cruel hand on the injury front. Already without Senior squad member Cian Hughes (hernia), they lost captain Andrew Smyth (hamstring) and sweeper Michael Kavanagh (hip) since the Wicklow game, and then centre-back Cillian Twomey also pulled a hamstring in the second quarter on Tuesday.

And even after enduring those setbacks, they were still perhaps only a 50-50 call away from potentially securing a dramatic win in additional time.

With Laois leading by 1-8 to 0-9, they tried to play keep-ball in the left half-back area and were turned over. Micheál McGonigle kicked soccer-style into the middle for fellow substitute Cormac McGee who was in plenty of space, but referee Ian Howley felt he picked the ball off the turf and awarded a free to the relieved midlanders.

Dylan Cooke-Leonard’s reaction to that decision earned him a black card, and Laois went on to add an insurance point from a Jamie O’Brien free after a foul on midfielder Killian Byrne.

The eventual winners had opened the scoring through wingback Cormac Murphy in the sixth minute, before Will Foley levelled from his second attempt with a lovely effort off the ground from 30 metres on the left.

He ended with a 50-50 record from placed balls, scoring four points and also hitting four of Wexford’s nine wides in the ever-worsening conditions.

The Laois goal that followed directly from Foley’s opener drew a response from the Horeswood lad before a 22nd-minute goal chance was squandered.

A long kick-out by Foley after a Laois wide was won by Dylan Cooke-Leonard, and he fed Cathal Kehoe who made ground before losing control of the ball.

However, he still managed to find midfield partner Seán Hughes who handpassed to Liam Donoghue, but the corner-forward hooked his low left-footed shot wide.

Cathal Murphy came in for the injured Cillian Twomey before Laois added two points from a high kick by goalscorer Lee and a fisted effort from Adam Hunt (1-3 to 0-2).

Donoghue earned and converted a free that was brought closer to the Laois posts for dissent before Wexford’s first point from play arrived in the 30th minute.

Corner-back James Doyle has been the team’s top performer in my opinion over their two games, and he came forward to kick a neat score after playing a one-two with Jack Morris.

A late Jamie O’Brien reply from a free left Laois leading by 1-4 to 0-4 at half-time, and the margin was the same at the finish even though Wexford did draw level on one occasion.

Will Foley doubled his points tally to four inside six minutes on the restart, converting a ’45 after a Dylan Cooke-Leonard kick was deflected before nailing a free from the same distance following a foul on Cathal Murphy.

Laois captain Darragh Slevin pointed in between, but the gap was down to one when Seán Hughes finished off good work by Cathal Kehoe and Jack Morris in the 42nd minute (1-5 to 0-7).

A Jamie O’Brien free gave the visitors some shortlived breathing space, but Wexford kicked three wides including two Foley placed balls before Cooke-Leonard split the posts from a pass by clubmate Ruairí Martin, who did well as his team’s main outlet for attacks on the left flank.

O’Brien’s next free rebounded off the post before a Cooke-Leonard pass teed up midfielder Cathal Kehoe to kick a fine leveller with his left peg in the 54th minute (0-9 to 1-6).

Laois looked vulnerable, but they produced the stronger finish and took their chances whereas Wexford faltered on more than one occasion.

After Cormac Murphy restored the visitors’ lead from a left-footed free, Cathal Kehoe was bursting towards goal when he lost the ball in a tackle, before James Lawless tried to hop it during a later move and the conditions conspired against him.

Given his strong overall display, James Doyle was unlucky to be penalised for an off-the-ball jersey tug on Jamie O’Brien that enabled his Laois opponent to convert a free from 13 metres just over 90 seconds into additional time (1-8 to 0-9).

That contentious pick-up call against McGee followed, before O’Brien closed the scoring and ensured the safe passage of Laois – along with Wicklow – into the knockout stages from this group.

Wexford: Will Foley (Horeswood, 0-4, 3 frees, 1 ’ 45); Seán Nunan (Fethard), Alex Kirby (Sarsfields), James Doyle (Glynn-Barntown, 0-1); Conor Kelly (Naomh Éanna, capt.), Cillian Twomey (Sarsfields), Ruairí Martin (Naomh Éanna); Seán Hughes (Ballynastragh Gaels, 0-1), Cathal Kehoe (Cloughbawn, 0-1); Jack Morris (Marshalstown-Castledockrell), Dylan Cooke-Leonard (Naomh Éanna, 0-1), Cormac Kiely (Gusserane); Dean Kehoe (Adamstown), Morgen Ellis (Fethard), Liam Donoghue (Glynn-Barntown, 0-1 free). Subs. – Cathal Murphy (St. Anne’s) for Twomey, inj. (23), Rory Gilbert (St. Mary’s, Maudlintown) for Kiely (39), James Lawless (Duffry Rovers) for Morris (48), Micheál McGonigle (Ballynastragh Gaels) for Ellis (50), Cormac McGee (Bannow-Ballymitty) for Hughes (56), also Eoin Blanchfield (Ballynastragh Gaels), Connor Mackey (Glynn-Barntown), Tom Quigley (Davidstown-Courtnacuddy), Jason Sheridan (Duffry Rovers).

Laois: Conor Brown; Daragh Loughman, Conor Raggett, Jake Darcy; Cormac Murphy (0-2, 1 free), John Brennan, Darragh Slevin (capt., 0-1); Colin McEvoy, Killian Byrne; Cian Nolan, Jonah Kelly, Cathal Lee (1-1); Jack Byrne, Adam Hunt (0-1), Jamie O’Brien (0-4 frees). Subs. – Conor Buggie for Nolan (42), Cillian Maher for Hunt (46), Rory Lalor for J. Byrne (48), Seán Brennan for Kelly, temp. (59-60+2).

Referee: Ian Howley (Dublin).