Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

WEXFORD 2-19 CLARE 1-21

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park, Ennis

Wexford dramatically maintained their perfect start to the new season after springing to life in the final ten minutes to produce a nine point turnaround in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon.

Clare, despite losing talisman Tony Kelly to a dead leg before half-time, appeared to have bounced back fully from their opening defeat to Antrim seven days earlier after seizing control from the outset to eventually move eight clear by the turn of the final quarter.

However, a straight red card for home corner-back Liam Corry allied to the growing influence of Rory O’Connor completely altered the narrative as Wexford blitzed Clare with a 2-4 unanswered rally to hit the front for the first time nearing full-time at 2-18 to 1-19.

Opportunist goals through Simon Donohoe and Lee Chin turned the tie on its head. So while the Banner did manage to regain parity deep into injury-time thanks to a brace of Aidan McCarthy frees, by then the momentum had shifted towards the visitors who completed an unlikely nine point turnaround through an acute Rory O’Connor free in the 73rd minute.

A shell-shocked Clare had previously been led impressively by scoring trio Aidan McCarthy, Cathal Malone and Aron Shanagher who with the aid of the conditions, seized the initiative from the outset to move 0-11 to 0-06 in front by the 34th minute.

Wexford, following some uncharacteristic misses from frees, did respond with three in a row in additional time but it would be wiped out right on the stroke of half-time when Aidan McCarthy rifled a penalty to the net to give Clare the perfect interval boost at 1-11 to 0-09.

With Joe O’Connor being sinbinned in the process after pulling down Aron Shanagher, Clare took advantage of their numerical advantage for the new half with McCarthy (2), Shanagher and Malone extending their cushion to eight at 1-15 to 0-10. That margin would be held despite seeing Clare permanently reduced to 14 entering the final quarter.

However, a two goal blitz in the space of a minute through Donohoe and Chin would tear up the home script for Wexford to snatch the spoils at the death.

**Scorers for Wexford:**Lee Chin 1-5 (3fs, 1’65); Rory O’Connor 0-6 (4fs), David Dunne 0-3, Simon Donohoe 1-0, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Conal Flood, Liam Óg McGovern, Shane Reck, Gavin Bailey 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare: Aidan McCarthy 1-8 (1-0 pen, 5fs, ‘165); Tony Kelly (3fs), Cathal Malone, Aron Shanagher 0-3 each, David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan 0-1 each.

**WEXFORD: **Mark Fanning; Shane Reck, Simon Donohoe, Joe O’Connor; Conal Flood, Gavin Bailey, Matthew O’Hanlon); Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Kevin Foley; Liam Óg McGovern, Aidan Nolan, Lee Chin; Rory O’Connor, Mike Dwyer, David Dunne. 

**Subs: **Jack O’Connor for Joe O’Connor (45), Conor Hearne for Nolan (50), Conor Devitt for Dwyer (50), Harry Kehoe for Dunne (70)

CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Rory Hayes, Conor Cleary, Liam Corry; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, Jack Browne; Tony Kelly, Paidí Fitzpatrick; Cathal Malone, Ian Galvin, David Fitzgerald; Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones), Aidan McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona), Mark Rodgers (Scariff). 

**Subs: **Shane Meehan (Banner) for Kelly (28, inj), Ryan Taylor for Rodgers (64), Colin Guilfoyle for Galvin (64), Shane Golden for Fitzpatrick (70).

REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).