Early goal blitz sets up Wexford victory

WEXFORD 5-19 ANTRIM 0-21

Wexford will turn their attention to Leinster champions Dublin and the Sky Sports cameras after coming through their quarter-final with little fuss.

A three-goal blitz in the opening 12 minutes set Wexford up for a good day .

The Saffrons were playing their fifth game in six weeks and wilted unnoticeably late on, although the 60th minute dismissal of Eoghan Campbell on a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Keith Rossiter didn’t help.

"Three goals in 10 or 12 minutes, it was very hard for Antrim to come back from that" agreed Wexford manager Liam Dunne.

“Some days it goes for you, some day it doesn’t. We didn’t target their full-back line to be honest, the opportunities came for the lads and they took them. Antrim then played a sweeper which didn’t give us as many chances but you’re sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul when you do that as well.”

Young side

While Dunne went with a very young side, only seven of which played in the narrow qualifier loss to Clare last year, it was veteran Rory Jacob who gave Wexford the dream start with two goals in four minutes.

The first came as he raced on to a long ball by Rossiter and gave Chris O’Connell no chance for the game’s opening score. Two minutes later as O’Connell made a brilliant save from Liam Óg McGovern, Jacob was on hand to sweep home from close range.

Conor McDonald smashed another rebound beyond O’Connell in the 12th minute, after Jack Guiney’s 20-metre free had been stopped as Wexford built up a 3-9 to 0-10 interval lead.

They had a strong wind in their favour in the second half too but McDonald and McGovern added to Wexford's goal tall. McManus and McCann kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Saffrons, while substitute Darren Hamill contributed four points from play in 18 minutes of action but Wexford were always in control.

WEXFORD: M Fanning; L Ryan (0-1), M O'Hanlon, K Rossiter; L Chin 0-1 (free), A Shore, C Kenny; D O'Keeffe, H Kehoe; P Morris (0-6, five frees), P Doran (0-3), J Guiney (0-1); R Jacob (2-2), C McDonald (2-2), L Óg McGovern (1-0). Subs: D Redmond for Kenny (half-time), R Kehoe for Chin, PJ Nolan for O'Keeffe (59 mins), I Byrne (0-2) for Guiney (61 mins), G Sinnott (0-1) for Nolan blood (63-64 mins), Sinnott for Doran (66 mins). ANTRIM: C O'Connell; A Graffin, C McKinley, Ciarán Johnson; O McFadden, N McAuley, E Campbell; P Shiels (0-6, frees), M Bradley; C Carson, N McManus (0-5), C McCann (0-4); C Clarke, Conor Johnson (0-1), PJ O'Connell (0-1). Subs: B McFall for Conor Johnson (41 mins), M Donnelly for Clarke (46 mins), D Hamill (0-4) for McFadden (52 mins), S McAfee for Carson (58 mins). Referee: A Kelly (Galway).