Wexford 6-21 Carlow 0-14:DEBUTANT PAT Kenny crashed home three goals to send Wexford through to the final over a disappointing Carlow side in the Division Two game played at Wexford Park yesterday.
Wexford’s opening score, an Andrew Shore point, arrived after two minutes and they were never subsequently in arrears, with Kenny pouncing for his first goal four minutes later.
When Paul Carley pointed a free the home side led 1-2 to 0-0 after eight minutes, with Carlow opening their account through a Ruairi Dunbar 10th-minute point.
Mark Brennan and Ciarán Kenny exchanged points before Paudie Kehoe pointed off the sideline to leave three points separating the sides, 1-3 to 0-3, after 13 minutes.
Wexford had started the game aggressively, making Carlow struggle, particularly in defence. Once Kenny goaled from a Stephen Doyle long ball on 14 minutes, with Lyng adding a third goal one minute later, the game was as good as over as a contest, with the home side leading 3-3 to 0-3.
Twenty minutes into the game Rory Jacob availed of slackness in the Carlow full-back line to find the net with a cross shot.
Hopes of a Carlow revival quickly diminished when they were denied a goal after 24 minutes through a superb double save from home goalkeeper Dermot Flynn from Dunbar and Paudie Kehoe from the rebound. Following this Carlow disappeared from the game with Wexford adding a fifth goal close to the break through Stephen Banville to lead 5-9 to 0-7 at the interval.
On the restart it took Wexford just 90 seconds to extend their lead through a Carley free. While Carlow responded with points from Kehoe and Robbie Foley, they were unable to get the goal their game craved. Instead the only second-half goal came at the opposite end where Kenny completed his hat-trick.
WEXFORD: D Flynn; M Travers, P Roche, A O'Connell; M Jacob, S Nolan, C Kenny (0-1); D Redmond (0-2), S Doyle (0-2); D Lyng (1-0), A Shore (0-3), P Carley (0-4, one free); R Jacob (1-4), S Banville (1-1), P Kenny (3-3). Subs: B O'Leary for O'Connell (44 mins), R Kehoe for Nolan (52 mins), J Tonks for Travers (55 mins), P Atkinson (0-1) for R Jacob (60 mins), H Kehoe for Carley (62 mins).
CARLOW: F Foley; D Byrne, S Kavanagh, D Shaw; J Rodgers, E Coady, Paul Kehoe; D Roberts, M Brennan (0-1); R Dunbar (0-2), E Byrne, Paudie Kehoe (0-7, four frees); A Gaul, R Foley (0-1), C Doyle (0-2) . Subs: J Hickey for Kavanagh (25 mins), R Coady (0-1) for Paul Kehoe (35 mins), W Hickey for E Byrne (yellow, 43 mins), M Ryan for D Byrne (50 mins), C Hughes for Doyle (60 mins).
Referee:A Stapleton (Laois).
