Wexford await Dublin or Meath

Carlow 2-10 Wexford 3-12

Wexford accounted for Carlow with sufficient ease at Croke Park this afternoon as three first-half goals helped Pat Roe's men into the Leinster SFC semi-finals.

The second period, despite the Barrowsiders being down to 14 men, proved a trickier challenge for favourites Wexford, who needed another top-scoring afternoon's work from AllStar Mattie Forde (1-06).

Simon Rea, who notched 1-05 in all, bagged a 42nd-minute penalty goal to stir hopes of a Carlow comeback.

Indeed, the influential Rea had the sides level 14 minutes later as he pointed a wide-out free for 2-10 to 3-07 but a hat-trick of late points from Forde ensured Wexford's path through.

At 3-02 to 0-04 up after 16 minutes, Forde and company were coasting, even without injured captain and full-forward John Hudson, and the fact that they were aiming into the breeze.

Midfielder David Fogarty slipped through on four minutes to fire past Carlow goalkeeper John Brennan and begin the Wexford goal glut. Rea and Brian Carberry pointed for Carlow before PJ Banville and Forde exposed the underdogs' rearguard with ease, netting on 11 and 16 minutes.

Mark Carpenter finished to the Wexford net five minutes later, but even though they levelled things up in the second half, thanks to the momentum of Rea's goal, Carlow's efforts were severely dented when left half-back Richard Sinnott was sent off for a second bookable offence in first half injury-time.

Wexford were 3-05 to 1-07 in front by that stage, and did just enough in the second half to book a last-four date with either Dublin or Meath.

Scorers: Wexford: M Forde 1-06 (0-02f), D Fogarty 1-01, PJ Banville 1-00, S Cullen, R Barry, D Kinsella, D Breen, P Colfer 0-01 each.

Carlow: S Rea 1-05 (1-00 pen, 0-04f), M Carpenter 1-00, P Hickey 0-03f, T Walsh, B Carberry 0-01 each.