Division Four roundup: Wexford edge Wicklow in seven goal encounter

Wexford 4-23 Wicklow 3-14

Wexford’s promotion hopes were kept very much on course after this comprehensive 12 point victory over Wicklow at Innovate Wexford Park.

Wexford blew away the Wicklow challenge during the early exchanges with Ben Brosnan, Donal Shanley and John Tubritt on fire in attack. Although having swept into a three point lead inside 10 minutes they allowed the Garden County an opening back into the game - Mark Lennon’s 13th minute goal had the sides level 0-7 to 1-4 after 16 minutes.

Wexford hit back for a further 10 points before the interval, with Tubritt also firing home a superb goal in between - which left his side leading 1-17 to 1-5 at the break.

Wicklow dominated the opening 15 minutes upon the resumption, adding goals through Paul Cunningham after 45 minutes and substitute Gary Allen nine minutes later. By now the deficit was back down to three points, 1-20 to 3-11 but it was the home side who regained the initiative finishing the game superbly with two goals from Brosnan, one penalty. Before another substitute Ciaran Lyng, back for his first game of the season, raised a green flag of his own en route to a very comfortable conclusion to an action packed encounter.

Wexford: A Masterson; R Vallejo, N Rossiter, J Wadding; B Malone 0-1, E Nolan, S Donohoe; C Kehoe, D Waters; A Flynn 0-2, B Brosnan 1-0 pen, K Butler 0-1; D Shanley 0-9 (0-8f), M O'Regan, J Tubritt 1-3. Subs: P J Banville 0-1 for flynn (48); J Rossiter for Vallejo (52); C Lyng 1-1 for O'Regan (58); T Rossiter for Brosnan (60); S Byrne for Waters (64); R tierney for N Rossiter (65).

Wicklow: M Carey; A Murphy, R O'Brien, E Murtagh; S Kelly, P McLoughlin, C Murphy; D Healy 0-1, A McLoughlin 0-1; D Hayden 0-1, J McGrath 0-2f, M Kenny 0-1; P O'Connor 0-1, P Cunningham 1-1, M Lennon 1-2. Subs: R Finn 0-2 (0-1f) for O'Brien (28); K Murphy for C Murphy (28); D Woods for Finn(ht); G Allen 1-1 for Kenny (B.C. 37); J Crowe for Murtagh (42); P Byrne 0-1 for Lennon (52). P McLoughlin (B.C. 57).

Referee: N Ward (Westmeath).

Louth 2-17 Carlow 1-7

Louth took complete command of this Division Four tie at Netwatch Cullen Park, to run out 13 point winners over Carlow, whose challenge collapsed after the sides were tied at 0-4 apiece after 22 minutes.

The Wee County’s full forward Conor Grimes did most of the damage to the home defence, shooting 2-1 from play as Colin Kelly’s men made Carlow pay for their frequency in conceding turn-over ball to their opponents.

Carlow led by a single point three times over the opening 20 minutes but Louth finished the half much stronger, establishing a double scores (0-8 to 0-4) advantage before a defensive slip by Carlow in injury time allowed Grimes a goal opportunity and his finish was clinical.

The Louth domination continued in the second half - in fact Carlow were to go a full 33 minutes without a score. In that time Louth ran riot, scoring 2-10, with Grimes finding the Carlow net again from close range on 50 minutes.

Louth: C Lynch; P Rath, P Reilly (0-1), K Toner; D Maguire (0-1), D McMahon, E Lafferty; J Stewart, J Califf (0-5, 0-3 frees); D Byrne (0-2), J McEneaney, C Grimes (2-1); A Reid, R Burns (0-4, 0-2 frees), C McKeever. Subs: T Durnin (0-2) for McEneaney (black card) (25); K McLoughlin for Lafferty (55); D McSorley for Grimes (58); D Quigley for Toner (62); J Bingham for Byrne (61) C Judge (0-1) for Reid (65).

Carlow: R Molloy; B J Molloy, D St Ledger, K Nolan; G Kelly, D Hayden, B Kavanagh; Brendan Murphy, S Gannon (0-1); A Kelly, J Murphy (0-1), E Finnegan; Brian Murphy, D Foley (0-3, frees), C Blake. Subs: H Gahan for Brendan Murphy (h/t); P Broderick (0-2 frees) for Blake (41); D O'Brien for A Kelly (black card) (41); G Power (1-0) for Nolan (46); J J Smith for Finnegan (53).

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary).

Leitrim 1-16 London 1-11

Leitrim overpowered London at Ruislip to claim their second victory in eight days.

The midfield dominance of Donal Wrynn and Shane Moran provided the platform for victory as the visitors overcame a nervy start.

Liam Gavaghan lobbed Brendan Flynn on 13 minutes to give the Exiles a 1-4 to 0-3 advantage but Leitrim responded with eight answered points to lead by four at the interval.

Leitrim wing-forward Kevin Conlan netted 40 seconds after the restart but four converted frees from Scott Conroy’s kept London in contention.

Three points separated the sides with 13 minutes remaining but Leitrim finished the stronger to clinch back-to-back wins.

Leitrim: B Flynn; P Maguire 0-1, N Woods, M McWeeney; R Gallagher, G Reynolds, S McWeeney 0-1; D Wrynn, S Moran 0-2; J Rooney, E Mulligan 0-4 (0-3f), K Conlan 1-2 (0-1f); N O'Donnell, R Kennedy 0-4 (0-1f), A Croal.

Subs: C Gilheaney 0-2 for O’Donnell (9, BC), M Murphy for Woods (17), C Gaffney for Croal (26), T Mulvey for Rooney (49).

London: C Campbell; P Butler, Ciaran Dunne, C O'Neill; D McGreevy, D Ryan, Colin Dunne; S Conroy 0-6 (0-4f), M Gottsche; A Moyles 0-1, C Og Greene, L Gavaghan 1-0; S Hickey, E Murray, L Mulvey.

Subs: C Carty for Mulvey (10, BC), C Coyne for Ciaran Dunne (26), N O’Carroll for Campbell (35), M Walsh for O’Neill (40, BC), A Hanlon 0-2 (0-1f) for Moyles (42), E Mageean for Colin Dunne (53).

Referee: M Collins (Cork)

Antrim 1-16 Waterford 0-6

It was easy for Antrim in their clash with Waterford at Corrigan Park - just as the final tally of 1-16 to 0-6 would suggest.

With a smothering defence, Antrim stormed off to be 1-6 to 0-1 ahead after 21 minutes, Matthew Fitzpatrick rifling in the goal four minutes earlier.

Remarkably, they failed to raise another flag for over 20 minutes as Waterford dominated but were let down by their laborious approach work which cut no ice against Antrim’s tough tackling.

After leading by 1-6 to 0-3 at the break, the home side then pressed the power pedal and outscored the opposition by 10 points to three to keep their unbeaten run going.

Antrim: C Kerr; K O'Boyle, C Burke; R Johnston; J Laverty, N Delargy, J Carson (0-2); D McAleese (0-2), C Murray; M Fitzpatrick (1-0), T McCann (0-5, 0-1f), R Murray (0-1); P McBride (0-1), M Johnston, K Niblock. Subs: B Neeson (0-4, 0-3f) for R Murray, inj); M Sweeney for Niblock, inj (53); M Armstrong (0-1) for McAleese (62); S McVeigh for McBride (65); P Kelly for McVeigh, inj (69).

Waterford: S Enright; T Ó hUllacháin; M O'Gorman (0-1), J McGrath; K Murphy (0-1), S Prendergast, R Ó Ceallaigh; T Prendergast, M Curry; M O'Halloran (0-1f), C Guiry, P Hurney; JJ Hutchinson (0-1), J Veale (0-2), P White. Subs: T Ó Gormáin for Murphy (half-time), S Barron for Hutchinson (45); L Lawlor for Ó Ceallaigh (48), P Crowley for T Prendergast inj (53), S Corcoran for O'Halloran (55).

Referee: P Falloon (Down).