Wexford ease to shield final win over Sligo

The winners took a little while to settle but they were 0-4 to 0-2 ahead by the first water break and had a decisive grip on proceedings by the interval

Wexford 2-15 Sligo 0-9

Classy finishing from corner-forward John Tubritt, who scored six points, and Ben Brosnan’s well-taken 20th minute goal drove Wexford to an ultimately comfortable 12-point defeat of Sligo, 2-15 to 0-9, in the AFL Division 4 Shield decider in hot conditions at Portlaoise’s MW Hire O’Moore Park.

The winners took a little while to settle but they were 0-4 to 0-2 ahead by the first water break and had a decisive grip on proceedings by the interval when they deservedly led by six points, 1-7 to 0-4.

Sligo barely made any inroads, apart from Niall Murphy’s promptings, and Keelan Cawley twice had glimpses of goal chances that were shut down – the second of which involved a tackle on him that forced him off with injury.

Wexford continued to dominate in the second-half and should have increased their goal tally – something they did manage in stoppage time when midfielder Liam Coleman goaled.

Scorers for Wexford: John Tubritt (0-6); Ben Brosnan (1-0); Liam Coleman (1-0); Kevin O’Grady (0-3); Sean Nolan (0-2); Michael Furlong (0-2); Robbie Brooks (0-1); Mark Rossiter (0-1, 1f).

Scorers for Sligo: Niall Murphy (0-4, 3f); Sean Carrabine (0-3, 1f, 1 ’45’); Red Og Murphy (0-1); Barry Gorman (0-1, 1 mark).

WEXFORD: P Doyle, G Sheehan, M O’Connor, C Carthy, P Hughes, B Malone, M Furlong, L Coleman, D Waters, K O’Grady, B Brosnan, L O’Connor, J Tubritt, M Rossiter, S Nolan.

Subs: R Brooks for B Brosnan, 21; E Porter for C Carthy, 44; D Brooks for P Doyle, 54; T Byrne for M Rossiter, 54; D Shanley for S Nolan, 61; N Hughes for D Waters, 61; S Ryan for J Tubritt, 70.

SLIGO: E Kilgannon, JF Carr, E McGuinness, E Lyons, C McGovern, P Laffey, S Carrabine, D Cummins, P Kilcoyne, K Cawley, R Og Murphy, M Gordon, P Naughton, N Murphy, C Lally.

Subs: Sean Power for John F Carr, 33; Donal Conlon for Keelan Cawley, 34; Gavin Gorman for Cian Lally, h-t; Liam Gaughan for Peter Naughton, 50; Barry Gorman (0-1, 1 mark) for Red Og Murphy, 50; Kyle Cawley for Mikey Gordon, 54; Karl McKenna for Conor McGovern, 54; Nathan Rooney for Sean Carrabine, 70.

Referee: D Hickey (Carlow).