Leinster Senior Football Championship First Round

CARLOW 2-17 WEXFORD 2-13

By Brendan Furlong at Netwatch Cullen Park

Carlow booked a quarter-final meeting with Leinster and All-Ireland champions, Dublin, securing a thoroughly deserved four point victory in this Leinster senior football championship game played at Netwatch Dr. Cullen Park.

Brendan Murphy gave a phenomenal display at midfield, even showing the energy and strength in second half additional time to get forward into a scoring position to slot home Carlow’s second goal which killed off the Wexford challenge.

The writing seemed on the wall for Wexford when they found themselves 1-12 to 0-11 down after 46 minutes, this after wing-back Danny Moran found himself in space to the right of goal to drill a superb shot across keeper Conor Swaine, a late replacement for the injured Shane Roche, into the opposite corner of the net.

But when a PJ Banville goal  one minute later hauled Wexford back into the reckoning, the stage was set for a high-intensity closing 20 minutes.

While this changed the course of the game, Carlow were still putting up a real resistance, but somehow Wexford got back level, 1-14 to 2-11, when full-back Naomhan Rossiter found himself on the edge of the square at the opposite end to drill home a fine goal having capitalised on a breaking ball.

Wexford may have looked in pole position but it was Carlow who bounced right back with Paul Broderick and Murphy kicking over some superb points, leaving the home side clinging to a single point lead, 1-16 to 2-12 with seven minutes remaining.

They had to play out the final seven minutes when Paul Broderick was dismissed on a second yellow, but after a Ciaran Lyng free had left the minimum separating the sides on 60 minutes, it was Murphy who secured the victory with that late strike.

The opening 35 minutes was somewhat of a shoot-out between Lyng and Ben Brosnan, along with Broderick, with the sides going in level 0-8 each at the interval.

Scorers for Carlow: Paul Broderick 0-10 (6fs), Brendan Murphy 1-2, Danny Moran 1-0, Alan Kelly 0-2, Darragh Foley, Sean Gannon, John Murphy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Wexford: Ciaran Lyng 0-6 (6fs), Ben Brosnan 0-4 (4fs), **** P J Banville 1-1, Neamhan Rossiter 1-0, Adrian Flynn, Michael Furlong 0-1 each.

CARLOW: Craig Kearney; Chris Crowley, Shane Redmond, Conor Lawlor; Danny Moran, Daniel St Ledger, Gary Kelly; Brendan Murphy, Sean Murphy; Eoghan Ruth, Darragh Foley, Alan Kelly; Paul Broderick, Ciaran Moran, John Murphy.

Subs: Sean Gannon for Ciaran Moran (28), Barry John Molloy for Crowley (35), Mark Rennick for Danny Moran (61), Jamie Clarke for Ruth (61), Kieran Nolan for John Murphy (63), Shane Clarke for Gary Kelly (64).

WEXFORD: Conor Swaine; Michael furlong, Naomhan Rossiter, Jim Rossiter; Eoghan Nolan, Joey Wadding, Brian Malone; Daithi Waters, Colm Kehoe; Kevin O’Grady, Ben Brosnan, Adrian Flynn; Ciaran Lyng, John Tubritt, P J Banville.

Subs: Niall Hughers for Waters (B.C. 18), John Leacy for Kehoe (26 inj.), Ronan Devereux for Jim Rossiter (51), Paul curtis for Tubritt (57), Conor Carty for furlong (66), Donal Shanley for Flynn (67).

REFEREE: Fergal Kelly (Longford).