Mark Rossiter scored 1-1 for Wexford in their Tailteann Cup victory over Longford.
Tailteann Cup Group 4 R1
Wexford 2-24 Longford 1-18
By Ronan Fagan at Chadwicks Wexford Park
Wexford overcame a searching test from Longford with a strong second-half showing in Saturday’s Tailteann Cup Group 4 opener at sunny Chadwicks Wexford Park.
Longford had succumbed by 2-18 to 1-10 to the purple and gold in the closing round of the National League seven weeks earlier, and Mike Solan’s charges appeared damaged when conceding a couple of early goals in this renewal.
But the midlanders responded as Cathal McCabe netted to help them seize the initiative at the break (1-12 to 2-8) only to be outclassed subsequently, with Seán Nolan supplying most of the highs for the Slaneysiders on an evening when he soared through the 300-point mark in his inter-county career with a match-winning salvo of 1-7.
Wexford got off to a quite promising start when crafting a 2-4 to 0-4 advantage inside seventeen minutes.
The home-side got the perfect start when Seán Nolan plunged to the Longford net in the second minute after a quality assist from Shane Pettitt.
Dessie Reynolds managed a two-pointer for Longford, but they were outplayed in the opening stages as Wexford offered plenty of potential.
Indeed, Kevin O’Grady, Pettitt, Tom Byrne and Páraic Hughes bisected the uprights to generate a 1-4 to 0-2 margin after ten minutes.
Dylan Farrell and Matthew Carey (free) pegged it back to 1-4 to 0-4 after fifteen minutes, before Wexford threatened to further undermine the Longford challenge.
A delivery out of defence by the ageless Michael Furlong led to Tom Byrne and Nolan exchanging passes on the left flank before Mark Rossiter raced through to plant a 2-4 to 0-4 seventeenth minute advantage.
However, Longford weren’t entertaining being mere participants, and they gained the upper-hand on 25 minutes when Cathal McCabe goaled after benefiting from exceptional play by Carey and Reynolds to land a 1-9 to 2-5 lead.
While Niall Hughes and Pettitt points quickly tilted matters back in favour of Wexford, their rivals kept building momentum as Jayson Matthew (two) and Farrell swung Longford ahead by 1-12 to 2-7 in added-time.
And Longford were fortunate moments later when a defender denied Wexford midfielder Liam Coleman a certain goal, before Seán Nolan lofted a late free to shave the gap to 1-12 to 2-8 at the break.
Wexford made obvious their intent when resuming with five unanswered points to transform matters by 2-13 to 1-12 after 47 minutes, Mark Rossiter, Seán Nolan, Kevin O’Grady, ‘keeper Darragh Brooks (’45) and defender Eoin Porter delivering while Tom Byrne squandered a gilt-edged goaling chance.
However, a two-pointer free courtesy of Dylan Farrell helped Longford close to within 2-14 to 1-16 after 55 minutes, with sub Keelin McGann and defender Patrick Fox also making in-roads.
Wexford began to tip matters decisively as back-to-back two-pointers from Niall Hughes and top-shooter Seán Nolan helped generate a 2-21 to 1-17 margin inside the last ten minutes.
Still the Wexford ‘keeper, Brooks, had to be at his best to prevent Longford defender Fox from netting as the home-side ultimately produced the goods but only following a testing examination from a Longford side showing real potential, and who will be seeking a vital set of points at home to Fermanagh next Sunday.
Wexford are away to Carlow that same afternoon looking to build upon this uplifting second-half display.
Scorers for Wexford: Seán Nolan 1-7 (4fs, 1tp), Niall Hughes 0-5 (2tp), Mark Rossiter 1-1, Kevin O’Grady, Shane Pettitt, Eoin Porter 0-2 each, Tom Byrne, Páraic Hughes, Martin O’Connor, Darragh Brooks (’45), Jack Higgins 0-1 each
Scorers for Longford: Dylan Farrell 0-6 (1tp, 1tpf), Matthew Carey 0-4 (1f, 1tpf), Dessie Reynolds 0-3 (1tp), Cathal McCabe 1-0, Jayson Matthews 0-2, Aaron Farrell, Keelin McGann, Patrick Fox 0-1 each
Wexford: Darragh Brooks; Liam O’Connor, Gavin Sheehan, Michael Furlong; Eoin Porter, Eoghan Nolan, Martin O’Connor; Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes; Páraic Hughes, Shane Pettitt, Mark Rossiter; Kevin O’Grady, Tom Byrne, Seán Nolan. Subs: Robbie Brooks for Byrne (44), Jack Higgins for O’Grady (56), Dylan Furlong for O’Connor (59), Ben Brosnan for S. Nolan (67), Seán Barden for Porter (70).
Longford: Micheál Hughes; Oisín O’Toole, Patrick Fox, Bryan Masterson; Cian Brady. Ryan Moffett, Dessie Reynolds; Daire Duggan, James Moran; Jayson Matthews, Matthew Carey, Aaron Farrell; Dylan Farrell, Cathal McCabe, Oran Kenny. Subs: Keelin McGann for McCabe (35+1), Iarla O’Sullivan for Brady (47), Caolan Lynch for Kenny (56), Darragh Finlass for Moffett (67).
Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).
