Sport

Wexford set up for play-off

Wexford 4-18 Laois 0-15: WEXFORD TOOK the psychological boost away from this clash as they hammered a poor Laois outfit with…

Mon Apr 02 2012 - 01:00

Wexford 4-18 Laois 0-15:WEXFORD TOOK the psychological boost away from this clash as they hammered a poor Laois outfit with 15 points to spare in this Division One B National Hurling League game played at Bellefield yesterday afternoon.

These two sides must do it all over again in two weeks’ time when they meet in the relegation play-off, but Wexford will not be fooled by Laois’s input to this game, which was meaningless.

It was difficult to ascertain Laois’s approach to this game, for the side bore little semblance to the side listed in the programme, with changes in personnel and positional switches in every line.

While this fifth successive league defeat will have done little for their confidence one can expect a whole new approach come the relegation play-off.

READ MORE

Wexford dominated this encounter from the very outset racing into a 2-9 to 0-9 lead by half-time with Paul Morris and Jack Guiney striking the goals.

Within 30 seconds of the restart Laois were dealt a double blow. Corner-forward Paul Morris knifed his way through the defence to power a low shot past goalkeeper Danny Hanlon, and in the lead up to the goal corner-back Paddy Mullaney was yellow-carded for a wild pull on Morris, his second of the game to end the game as a contest.

WEXFORD: E Martin; W Devereux, P Roche, E Moore; R Kehoe, D Stamp, S Murphy (0-1); M O’Hanlon, E Quigley; H Kehoe (0-2), J Leacy, D Lyng (0-1); P Morris (2-2), J Guiney (1-8, 1-5 frees, 0-1 65), R Jacob (1-2). Subs: J Tonks for Stamp (half-time), I Byrne for for Leacy (half-time), PJ Nolan (0-1) for Quigley (inj, 46 mins), B Kenny for Murphy (51 mins), J Fogarty (0-1) for Jacob (51 mins).

LAOIS: D Hanlon; P Mullaney, D Maher, B Stapleton; B Guilfoyle, M Whelan (0-2, one free), S Bourke; C Coonan, J Walsh (0-1); S Lowney (0-3), A Collier, D O’Mahoney; C Murray, W Hyland (0-9, three frees, One 65), B Reddon. Subs: N Unwin for Guilfoyle (53 mins), G Burke for Bourke (55 mins), M Meade for Stapleton (55 mins), B Dunne for Lowney (59 mins), W Dunphy for Walsh (64 mins).

Referee: T Carroll (Offaly).