Derry ease to win over Wexford

Wexford 0-10 Derry 0-19

Derry had too much class for Wexford as they eased to a 0-19 to 0-10 Allianz Football League victory at Wexford Park.

Dominant Derry squandered a series of gilt-edged chances in firing eight wides and also missing a goal-scoring opportunity, but late scores from Sean Leo McGoldrick and Enda Lynn saw them lead 0-8 to 0-6 at the break.

Wexford missed their own goal chances but were well beaten with Mark Lynch, Lynn and Emmett McGuckin inspiring the visitors.

Experienced defender Gerard O’Kane, in his seasonal bow, and McGuckin (0-2) fired the visitors into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead after nine minutes.

But Derry, led impressively by Mark Lynch, could have been comfortably ahead before Ben Brosnan eventually ended Wexford’s drought with a pointed free after 18 minutes.

The wind-assisted home side actually recovered to square things up at 0-6 apiece after 33 minutes with further scores from Adrian Flynn, Shane Roche (0-2), PJ Banville and Brosnan.

However, Derry reasserted control in the closing stages of the half to craft a merited 0-8 to 0-6 interval advantage through defender McGoldrick and influential centre forward Lynn.

While Brosnan claimed an early second half point for Wexford, Brian McIver's charges finally made their superiority tell between the 40th and 52nd minutes.

They surged clear by 0-14 to 0-8 with a succession of unanswered scores from Lynn (0-2), the Kielts, Charlie and James, together with McGuckin and star midfielder PJ McCloskey.

All Wexford could offer was spirited resistance, and they were unlucky with a couple of goal chances, as defender Joey Wadding forced a save before Shane Roche crashed the rebound off the crossbar.

But Wexford were a clear second best on the day and after a double exchange of points, Derry consolidated back-to-back Division 2 successes with scores from substitute Ray Wilkinson, McGuckin and Charlie Kielt as they climbed into second place in the table after three rounds.

Wexford’s pain was added to in the closing stages when powerful midfielder Daithí Waters was dismissed for a second yellow card.

WEXFORD: T Hughes; J Wadding, G Molloy, R Tierney; B Malone, L Chin, A Doyle; D Waters, C Doyle; S Roche (0-3, 0-2f), B. Brosnan (0-3, 0-2f), P Byrne; A Flynn (0-2), R Barry (capt), PJ Banville (0-1).

Subs used: R Quinlivan (0-1) for C Doyle, D Murphy for Chin, J Holmes for A Doyle, K Gore for Brosnan, M Furlong for Tierney.

DERRY: T Mallon; G O’Kane (0-1), D McBride, C McKaigue; C Kielt (0-2), M Lynch (capt) (0-1), SL McGoldrick (0-1); Pasty Bradley (0-1), PJ McCloskey (0-1); B McGoldrick, E Lynn (0-4), J Kielt (0-2, 0-1f); B Herron, E McGuckin (0-5, 0-2f), L Kennedy.

Subs used: R Wilkinson (0-1) for Kennedy, D Heavron for J Kielt, C McFall for Herron, R Bell for McCloskey, C McWilliams for Lynch.

Referee: Michael Collins (Cork)