A battle of the neighbours saw Wexford outscore Carlow 1-6 to 0-2 during the closing ten minutes helping them maintain their 100% record and promotion challenge in this stop start Allianz Division 1B hurling clash at Chadwicks Wexford Park.
Wexford had struggled for victory in their opening two games against Antrim and Down, and this was no exception for it was not until the 48th minute introduction of star player Lee Chin that the side settled, eventually stepping up their game against a tiring Carlow in the closing ten minutes to emerge with the crucial points.
For Keith Rossiter he will be taking the positives out of this game as they await their step up in class in their next outing against Dublin in a Croke Park ‘double-header’, the curtain raiser to the Dublin-Kerry football clash.
“I am very happy with the result,” said Rossiter.
“These are difficult times for Wexford hurling but the young side have responded taking all six points from their three games. Carlow have had serious results in recent seasons so it was always going to be a challenge, the neighbours coming down confident of securing a result.
“We have six points on the board. It’s about making winning a habit for this young side, they can take this confidence into the Dublin game. The game also saw Damien Reck have his first start, while Lee Chin and Simon Donohoe, second half substitutes, had their first league outing.
“This was always going to be difficult. We battled our way through the game, but the manner of our finish, controlling the closing stages, set us up. I’m happy with the result and now look ahead to Dublin, a serious challenge.”
Very little separated the sides through the opening thirty-five minutes, as the game developed into a shoot-out between the respective freetakers, Simon Roche and Martin Kavanagh.
Carlow opened the game impressively leading 0-4 to 0-2 inside the opening six minutes, with their scores coming through Chris Nolan, back from suspension, Kevin McDonald, Jon Nolan and a Martin Kavanagh free.
It was the accurate Roche who got the Wexford scoreboard moving with two pointed frees. He went on to add a third free before bringing the sides level with a point from play, 0-4 each after twelve minutes.
Turning up the tempo of their game, Wexford gave their supporters something to cheer about, when centre-forward Kevin Foley laid a ball off to Ross Banvile, who moved through the centre to beat keeper Brian Tracey, the sides taking the lead for the first time after 12 minutes.
But the Carlow response was immediate. Having contested a high ball, it was Fiachra Fitzpatrick who availed of the break, gathering close to goal to beat keeper Mark Fanning from an acute angle, restoring parity 1-5 each.
With frees beginning to dominate the game, the sides continued to exchange points, with Kavanagh on the mark, along with Donagh Murphy, while Jack Redmond, Darren Codd got in on the scoring act, and it was the homeside who led 1-14 to 1-11 at the interval.
Two Martin Kavanagh pointed frees within minutes of the restart reduced the Carlow deficit to the minimum, before a Roche pointed free helped to steady the homeside.
With Kavanagh continuing to punish indiscretions in the Wexford defence, going along with a Jack Treacy point, it was Carlow who edged 1-18 to 1-17 in front after fifty-three minutes.
As Carlow continued to impress, still leading by the minimum, 1-19 to 1-18 after fifty-five minutes, it was Chin who stamped his introduction with the levelling point. Wexford now appeared to be taking control as points from Kinsella, Roche and Redmond, steered them into a 1-23 to 1-19 lead, with Chin once again getting in on the scoring act.
The sides traded points but as the game moved into added time it was keeper Fanning who secured the points for the second time in this campaign. After centre-back Kevin McDonald, fouled Roche close to goal, receiving a black card for his efforts, Fanning stepped up to crash the resulting penalty to the corner of the net, giving his side a rather flattering ten point victory margin. For Carlow who impressed for so long, they did not deserve to be on the end of such a margin.
S Roche (0-14, 0-10 frees; M Fanning (1-0 pen), R Banville (1-0), T Kinsela (0-6), J Redmond (0-3), L Chin, Darren Codd (0-2 each), C Hearne (0-1).
M Kavanagh 0-14, 0-13 frees; C Nolan 0-3; K McDonald, J Noan, J Treacy, D Murphy 0-1 each; F Fitzpatrick 1-0.
M Fanning; D Carley, C Foley, D Reck; P Dempsey, R Lawlor, E Wickham; C Hearne, David Codd; Darren Codd, KFoley, R Banville; S Roche, J Redmond, T Kinsella.
L Chin for David Codd (48), J Byrne for Banville (54), S Donohoe for Dempsey (63), C Byrne for Redmond (65), D O’Leary for Wickham (71).
B Tracey; N Bolger, D Wall, P Doyle; F O’Toole, K McDonald, E Kealy; F Fitzpatrick, J Nolan; J Treacy, D Murphy, C Kehoe; C Nolan, J M Nolan, M Kavanagh.
P Boland for J M Nolan (ht), T Joyce for Kehoe (43), K Kavanagh for Murphy (60), P O’Shea for Kealy (61), J Doyle for Treacy (71).
R Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
