Hard luck to Wexford Senior Footballers who had a heart breaking defeat to Carlow yesterday in Netwatch Dr Cullen Park in their opening round of the Leinster Senior Football Championship, Loosing Daithe Waters through a controversial Black Card and minutes later Colm Kehoe going off with a hamstring injury always made it an uphill battle after that leaving Carlow take full control around the midfield
Two frees from Ciaran Lyng got Wexford off to a great start as they played into a strong wind, and after Eoghan Ruth missed a goal chance at the other end, Micheal Furlong made it 0-3 to 0-0 after eight minutes for Wexford. Danny Moran’s goal early in the second-half gave Carlow the belief they needed to kick on to their first Leinster championship win since 2011, but they still needed Murphy’s added-time goal after PJ Banville and Naomhan Rossiter hit the net for Seamus McEnaney’s side.
Wexford had a good return from placed balls and a free each from Ben Brosnan and Lyng meant the sides were level at 0-8 each at the halftime.
Wexford started brightly again after the break thanks to a Brosnan free, but their challenge went downhill quickly when Carlow’s Danny Moran goaled for a 1-8 to 0-9 lead and a second yellow card for Eoghan Nolan saw Wexford reduced to 14 men for the last 24 minutes, but they were lifted by PJ Banville’s goal in the 48th minute that left Carlow one point ahead. Broderick and Brendan Murphy added points for a determined Carlow, but as soon as their lead was three points, Wexford levelled mattered with their second goal from Naomhan Rossiter from close range. Broderick brought his personal tally to ten points with the lead score nine minutes from time, but he was sent off two minutes later when he picked up a second yellow card, but Murphy’s late goal ensure the win for the home side and a quarter-final with Dublin.
Scorers for Wexford: B Brosnan 0-5 (5f), C Lyng 0-5 (5f), PJ Banville 1-1, N Rossiter 1-0, M Furlong 0-1, A Flynn 0-1.
1 Conor Swaine (Horeswood), 2 Michael Furlong (Adamstonwn),3 Naomhan Rossiter (St Mary’s Roslare), 4 Jim Rossiter (St Fintan’s), 26 Adrian Flynn (Gusserane), 6 Joey Wadding (St Fintan’s) 7 Brian Malone (Shelmaliers), 8 Daithí Waters (c) (St Martin’s), 9 Colm Kehoe (Cloughbawn), 10 Kevin O’Grady (St James), 11 Ben Brosnan (Castletown), 12 Eoghan Nolan (Shelmaliers), 13 Ciarán Lyng (St Martin’s), 14 John Tubritt (Fethard), 15 PJ Banville (Horeswood)
24 Niall Hughes for Waters (19 mins, black),
21 John Lacey for Kehoe (27)
25 Ronan Deveraux for J Rossiter (52),
18 Paul Curtis for Tubritt (57)
20 Conor Carty for Furlong (67)
22 Donal Shanley for Flynn (68).
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