Allianz HL D1B: Wexford finish strongly

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

Wexford 2-28 Carlow 1-21

By Ronan Fagan at Chadwicks Wexford Park

Wexford overpowered Carlow down the stretch to extend their perfect start to Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League.

The sides were level for an 11th time on 55 minutes when substitute Lee Chin – in his first appearance of the season – tied matters at 1-19 apiece.

Wexford bossed things from there, out-shooting the neighbours by 1-10 to 0-2 across the closing 15 minutes, with ‘keeper Mark Fanning netting his second injury-time penalty of the campaign to help put the issue beyond doubt.

Carlow began in business-like fashion, centre-back Kevin McDonald, Jon Nolan, legendary shooter Marty Kavanagh and Chris Nolan –establishing a 0-4 to 0-2 sixth minute lead.

Simon Roche had responded for Wexford, and he obliged with their third from a dead-ball before registering from play with a 12th-minute equaliser after collecting a line-ball from Kevin Foley.

The resulting puck-out was turned-over as Shelmaliers’ club-mates Conor Hearne and Ross Banville combined, with Hearne’s slick hand-pass releasing Banville to stitch a 1-4 to 0-4 lead.

Carlow certainly didn’t panic, demonstrating real nerve, and midfielder Fiachra Fitzpatrick snapped onto a release from a ruck to strike an angled finish to the net to restore parity after 18 minutes, 1-5 each.

There was nothing to separate them as the neighbours shared ten points over the next 12 minutes, Jack Redmond and Darren Codd hitting the scoresheet for the locals as Donagh Murphy did likewise for Carlow.

A seventh Simon Roche score – fifth placed-ball – edged Wexford back in front before they threatened the Carlow net when Darren Codd intercepted a defensive pass only to see his 32^nd minute drive parried for a point (1-12 to 1-10).

Roche and Redmond stretched the home lead to 1-14 to 1-11 at the change of ends.

Carlow remained hot on Wexford’s heels, and five further Marty Kavanagh frees, and a Jack Treacy score, saw Pat Bennett’s men transform matters by 1-17 to 1-16 after 50 minutes.

Wexford’s talisman Lee Chin had just entered the fray beforehand in his seasonal bow, and he was assisted by Kevin Foley to tie matters for an 11th time after 55 minutes.

With Chin making an impact, Wexford grew in stature, and a chain of unanswered scores from Kinsella, Redmond, Roche – the latter a free from his own half – and Chin carved out a 1-23 to 1-19 advantage after 61 minutes.

After a double trade off, Wexford nailed the spoils when netminder Fanning hammered home the injury-time penalty, with Carlow having lost Kevin McDonald to a black-card having impeded the rampaging Kevin Foley.

Simon Roche, with his 14th score, Kinsella and Conor Hearne put the ribbons on Wexford’s third straight victory as they seek an immediate exit from this division.

Scorers for Wexford: Simon Roche 0-14 (10fs), Tomás Kinsella 0-6, Jack Redmond 0-3, Ross Banville, Mark Fanning (penalty) 1-0 each, Darren Codd, Lee Chin 0-2 each, Conor Hearne 0-1

Scorers for Carlow: Marty Kavanagh 0-14 (13fs), Fiachra Fitzpatrick 1-0, Chris Nolan 0-3, Kevin McDonald, Jon Nolan, Donagh Murphy, Jack Treacy 0-1 each

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Darragh Carley, Conor Foley, Damien Reck; Philip Dempsey, Richie Lawlor, Eamon Wickham; Conor Hearne, David Codd; Darren Codd, Kevin Foley, Ross Banville; Simon Roche, Jack Redmond, Tomás Kinsella.

Subs: Lee Chin for David Codd (48), James Byrne for Banville (54), Simon Donohoe for Dempsey (63), Cian Byrne for Redmond (65), Diarmuid O’Leary for Wickham (70+1).

Carlow: Brian Tracey; Niall Bolger, Dion Wall, Paul Doyle; Fiach Ó Toole, Kevin McDonald, Evan Kealy; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Jon Nolan; Jack Treacy, Donagh Murphy, Conor Kehoe; Chris Nolan, John Michael Nolan, Marty Kavanagh.

Subs: Paddy Boland for John Michael Nolan (HT), Ted Joyce for Kehoe (43), Kevin Kavanagh for Murphy (60), Páidí O’Shea for Kealy (61), John Doyle for Treacy (70+1).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).