Wexford boss Bonnar quits after defeat

Limerick 1-22 Wexford 2-13

Wexford manager Colm Bonnar resigned after his side made a tame exit from the All-Ireland hurling championship at the Gaelic Grounds this evening.

The Tipperary man ended his three-year reign after Limerick eased their way into the next round with an accomplished display.

Indeed, Limerick should have won by an even bigger margin but a late Wexford goal put a better complexion on the scoreline.

There was a delay of 10 minutes because of congestion outside the ground the 14,000 in attendance were treated to a terrific opening half of hurling.

Donal O’Grady opened the scoring for Limerick when pointed splendidly from inside his own 65-metre line after some trademark short hand-passing from David Moloney found him in space.

Wexford hit back and when full-forward Garreth Sinnott gathered Harry Kehoe’s pass down the line he dissected the posts beautifully from the right wing.

Eoin Quigley pushed Wexford ahead on eight minutes with a well struck sideline cut form the right, and at the other end James Ryan was denied a goal thanks to a well-timed block by corner-back Paul Roche.

The sides exchanged scores in the eighth and 11th minutes through Graeme Mulcahy and PJ Nolan, but Limerick soon gained the upper hand around their half-back line and started to dominate.

Limerick hit six points from the 18th to the 27 minute, in which time a solitary Quigley score was all Wexford could muster.

Limerick debutant Declan Hannon, who missed the Munster semi-final as he was doing his Leaving Cert, struck his first from a free, which was quickly followed by a well worked move which was finished by Niall Moran on the run.

Full-forward Kevin Downes struck the score of the half off his hurl from the left touchline to give Limerick a 0-6 to 0-4 lead.

That advantage was pushed out to four points when Hannon hit a super side line cut, but on the half-hour mark Wexford close to within one when Quigley ran on to a good pass from Sinnott and bundled the ball past Nicky Quaid at the second attempt.

But with Downes becoming more and more involved in the play Limerick pulled away before the break and four more points before half-time saw them lead 0-11 to 1-6 at the break.

The half-time break failed to halt Limerick's momentum and less than 20 seconds after the restart Mulcahy goaled.

James Ryan dispossessed Darren Stamp and laid off a perfect pass into the path of Mulcahy who made no mistake from close in.

Nolan hit back for Wexford, but the star of the moment, Mulcahy brought the home side’s advantage back to five with a point from play.

Further points from Hannon and Tobin increased Limerick’s lead to seven before Harry Kehoe and Rory Jacob tried their best to instigate a Wexford revival with points.

And any slim hopes of a Yellowbellies late surge were brought to a shuddering halt when Paul Roche was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Wadding after an altercation with Mulcahy off the ball.

After Hannon added two more late points for Limerick, a goal from Rory Jacob with the last stroke of the game was a mere consolation.

Scorers:

Limerick: G Mulcahy (1-4); D Hannon (0-9, 5fs, 1slc); N Moran (0-3); D O’Grady (0-2); S Tobin (0-1); K Downes (0-1); M O’Riordan (0-1); T O’Brien (0-1).

Wexford: R Jacob (1-2); E Quigley (1-2, 1slc); G Sinnott (0-3); PJ Nolan (0-2); D Redmond (0-1); K Rossiter (0-1); H Kehoe (0-1); E Martin (0-1).

Limerick: N Quaid; D Moloney, S Hickey, T Condon; W McNamara, B Geary, G O’Mahoney; D O’Grady, P Browne; N Moran, J Ryan, D Hannon; G Mulcahy, K Downes, S Tobin.

Subs: M O’Riordan for Browne, 44; S Walsh for Condon, inj, 50; T O’Brien for Tobin, 57; D Ryan for Mulcahy, 65; D Breen for Geary, 69.

Wexford: N Breen; P Roche, M O’Hanlon, K Rossiter; L Prendergast, D Stamp, M Jacob; M Travers, H Kehoe; PJ Nolan, E Quigley, S Banville; R Jacob, G Sinnott, J Berry.

Subs: C Farrell for Travers, 47; D Redmond for Quigley, 55; B Doyle for Berry, 58; E Martin for Kehoe, 71.

Referee: M Wadding (Waterford).