Wexford 2-19, Clare 1-21
A decisive injury-time pointed free from Rory O’Connor completed a stirring second-half revival as Wexford gained some revenge for last year’s championship exit to Clare in Sunday’s second-round Allianz Hurling League Division 1, Group B duel at Cusack Park, Ennis.
Wexford were struggling by 1-18 to 0-13 after 55 minutes. But a red-card for Clare defender Liam Corry corresponded with a momentous upswing in Wexford fortunes as they out-scored the locals by 2-5 to 0-1 for a spell, and although Clare got back level, Jack O’Connor forced a free which younger brother Rory pointed four minutes into added-time to nail an inspiring result.
Injuries contributed to Wexford undertaking sweeping changes – including eight in personnel – from the opening round success over Laois, with the injured Liam Ryan and Conor McDonald forced to sit out.
Clare had an obvious desire to recover from their shock defeat to Antrim, and as wides and handling errors blighted Wexford’s play, the Banner County eased ahead by 0-9 to 0-4 after 26 minutes while Wexford posted a number of wides.
Clare suffered a blow with the loss of the talismanic Tony Kelly to injury following an earlier collision with Rory O’Connor, and Wexford showed promise when closing to within 0-11 to 0-9 in added-time through David Dunne (2), Rory O’Connor (2) and Connal Flood.
But Wexford suffered a double whammy on the stroke of half-time when Joe O’Connor shipped a penalty, and was sin-binned, before Aidan McCarthy lashed home the dead-ball to reassert home dominance by 1-11 to 0-9 at the break.
There was no improvement in Wexford fortunes for the first twenty minutes of the second-half as Clare maintained a tidy advantage (1-18 to 0-13) while Lee Chin (‘65), Liam Óg McGovern, Rory O’Connor (free) and defender Shane Reck responded.
But Clare then lost no.4 Liam Corry to a red-card after a challenge on Rory O’Connor, and the latter pointed the resultant free before revelling in the extra space created upfront.
ndeed, David Dunne was cruelly denied a goal before, after an exchange of points, Wexford stretched the Clare cover for defender Simon Donohoe to force home after good play by Dunne to shave the gap to 1-19 to 1-15 after 63 minutes.
And Wexford had a second goal within a minute when Lee Chin swept home after Rory O’Connor had fastened onto a loose Clare pass (1-19 to 2-15).
David Dunne levelled with a monstrous wind-assisted drive from midfield in the 66th-minute, before Rory O’Connor and Lee Chin advanced Wexford clear by 2-18 to 1-19 on 69 minutes.
As Wexford lost Matthew O’Hanlon to a second booking, Clare regained parity. But the O’Connor brothers forced the decisive score to seal a great fight-back by the purple-and-gold heading into next Sunday’s trip to face Kilkenny at Nowlan Park.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Shane Reck (0-1), Simon Donohoe (1-0), Joe O’Connor; Connal Flood (0-1), Gavin Bailey (0-1), Matthew O’Hanlon; Diarmuid O’Keeffe (0-1), Lee Chin (1-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65); Rory O’Connor (0-6, 4 frees), Liam Óg McGovern (0-1), Aidan Nolan; David Dunne (0-3), Mikey Dwyer, Kevin Foley.
Subs: Conor Firman for Donohoe, temp., 13-17; 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 (capt.), Jack Browne; Tony Kelly (0-3 frees), Paidí Fitzpatrick; Cathal Malone (0-3), Ian Galvin (0-1), David Fitzgerald (0-1); Aaron Shanagher (0-3), Aidan McCarthy (1-7, 0-5 frees, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 ‘65), Mark Rodgers (0-2).
Subs: Shane Meehan (0-1) for Kelly (28); Colin Guilfoyle for Rodgers (63); Ryan Taylor for Galvin (63); Shane Golden for Fitzpatrick (70).
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).
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