LSFC Wicklow v Wexford

LSFC

At Aughrim

WICKLOW   0 – 14

WEXFORD   2 – 11

Wexford took the spoils in round 1 of the Leinster Senior Football Championship in Aughrim and set up a quarter-final meeting with Dublin next weekend. The visitors got off to a dream start with Mark Rossiter firing home a major in the 3rd minute. Bray’s  Aaron Murphy got Wicklow on the board with a point after a great solo-run through the Wexford rear guard. Mark Rossiter replied with a point before Wicklow hit three unanswered points on the bounce, Patrick O’Connor split the posts from distance before Chris O’Brien and Padraig O’Toole rose white flags to level matters as the first half water-break was signalled by the Longford referee. On the resumption Rossiter restored the lead, but this was cancelled out a Mark Kenny point from close range. Padraic Hughes pointed for the visitors and Wicklow got off the hook when Tom Byrne narrowly shot wide of goal moments later. Patrick O’Connor landed his 2nd point of the afternoon, however two further points for the visitors closed out the opening half as the scoreboard read 0-6 to 1-05. Wexford started the second half a man light, as midfielder, Daithi Waters picked up a Black Card just prior the half time whistle. John Tubritt and Patrick O’Connor traded points inside the opening 3 minutes before Rossiter tagged on another point for the visitors. Aided by a slight breeze Davy Burke’s charge’s levelled matters with a trio of points, 0-10 to 1-07 in the 45th minute. Wicklow took the lead with a brace of points, the pick of them, a 50m free out on the left from Mark Jackson. Mark Kenny picked up a yellow card for persistent fouling and Donal Shanley pointed from the resultant free to leave the scoreboard reading 0-12 to 1-08 as the 2nd half water break was signalled. It would be nearly 11 minutes before the next score was tallied, as both sides failed to find the target. Martin O’Connor fired home from close range, after a powerful solo-run up the field, the centre-back played a sweet one-two with Liam Coleman, O’Connor shook the back of Jackson’s net, a huge score for Wexford with an hour on the clock. Another point from Rossiter pushed the lead out, 0-12 to 2-09. 7minutes of additional time was signalled, another pointed free from Mark Jackson soon followed before Rossiter pointed yet again. Patrick O’Connor landed Wicklow’s 14th point, however they could not harvest a badly needed goal in the closing stages of the game.

Wicklow MOTM :

Wicklow : Mark Jackson (0-2,2f); Arran Murphy (0-3), Eoin Murtagh, Oisin Manning; Darragh Fitzgerald, Niall Donnelly; David Deveraux, Padraig O’Toole (0-1), John Paul Hurley; Andy Maher, Mark Kenny (0-1), Conor Byrne (0-1); Chris O’Brien (0-2, 2f), Seanie Furlong, Patrick O’Connor (0-4)

SUBS: Paul Cunnigham, Daniel Keane, James Sheeran, Saoirse Kearon, Pat Burke

Wexford: Darragh Brooks; Martin O’Connor (1-00), Gavin Sheehan, Liam O’Connor; Paraic Hughes (0-1), Brian Malone, Michael Furlong; Daithi Waters, Liam Coleman; Tom Byrne, Sean Nolan, Kevin O’Grady; John Turbitt (0-2), Eoghan Nolan, Mark Rossiter (1-06,1f).

SUBS: Ben Brosnan, Donal Shanley (0-2,2f), Eoghan Porter, Alan Tobin, Niall Hughes.

REF : Fergal Kelly (Longford)