Double delight for Galway as Shefflin's men douse Wexford ambitions

Throw in at Wexford Park delayed by fifteen minutes when a small fire to the rear of the covered stand forced the evacuation of spectators onto the pitch for a period

Allianz HL: Wexford 0-13 Galway 0-23

GALWAY provided all the hurling in the second half to eventually ease their way to a comfortable eight-point victory over Wexford in this disappointing opening round Allianz National hurling league game at Chadwicks Wexford Park.

In the process the westerners also lifted the Walsh Cup, the final of which doubled up with this league encounter, but there was still quite growing evidence that considerable improvement is needed if they hope to add further silverware this season.

The throw in had been delayed by fifteen minutes when a small fire to the rear of the covered stand forced the evacuation of spectators onto the pitch – but the troubling matter was well handled by authorities.

Prior to this game it was seen that both sides were short a number of key players, while Galway were further depleted when both Joseph Cooney and Kevin Cooney were forced to miss the game owing to a family bereavement. The changes may have had an unsettling effect on the side through the opening thirty-five minutes, but their second half dominance was undisputable as they controlled the game and such was their control their winning margin should have been greater.

Both sides went toe to toe during the opening minutes but the finishing was wayward as the homeside struck four wides to their opponents through the opening five minutes.

After Donal Reck free and Donal O'Shea exchanged points, Wexford hit three unanswered points through Conor McDonald, free, Charlie McGuckin and Mikie Dwyer to lead 0-4 to 0-1 after ten minutes.

PRECAUTION: Spectators on the pitch after they were moved out of the main stand at Chadwicks Wexford Park. 

Wexford were still leading 0-6 to 0-4 when Conor Devitt was penalised for a foul on Conor Whelan, but Even Niland saw his resulting penalty saved by keeper Mark Fanning, with Jason Flynn pointing following a loose clearance.

Very little was to separate the sides for the remainder of the half with Evan Niland pointed frees keeping Galway very much in contention, while Cathal Dunbar, two, Simon Donohoe and Kevin Foley responded with Wexford points which left the sides level 0-10 each at the interval.

Once Galway hit a 0-13 to 0-11 lead with points from Niland and sub Brian Concannon, they went on to control the second period as Niland continued to show his accuracy from placed balls.

Still leading 0-13 to 0-10 after fvifty minutes, Galway began to up the tempo of their games and with Padraig Mannon, Sean Linnane and Geariod McInerney beginning to exert their influence, they so, bon silenced the home crowd in an attendance of 8.200 as they stretched their advantaged with further points from Nilan, Sean Linnane and Jason Flynn, who was to be denied a goal by the advancing keeper, Mark Fanning.

Wexford's second half fade-out was disappointing and they had to way until the forty-sixth minute for their opening second half score a McDonald pointed free, but the liklihood of a recovery was never evident as Galway flowed through the gears cutting gaping holes in the home defence with sub Liam Collins pointing after a sweeping move, when he should have goaled, batting the cross over the bar from a few metres.

The final quarter saw the game peter out as the attendance began to filter from the ground, for Wexford struggled for scores only managing two second-half points from play through Dunbar and McGuckin but there was little they could do to counter the flowing hurling of the visitors no doubt leaving Manager Henry Shefflin happy with his opening points of the league.

WEXFORD: M Fanning; S Reck, L Ryan, C Devitt; C Foley, D Reck (0-2, 0-1 free), S Donohoe (0-1); D O'Keeffe, K Foley (0-1); C Hearne, LOg McGovern, C McGuckin (0-3); C Dunbar(0-3), C McDonald (0-4, frees), M Dwyer (0-1). 

Subs: J Doran for Foley (52), R Higgins for Dwyer (52), C Byrne-Dunbar for McGovern (55), D Clarke for S Reck (65), C Flood for Hearne (65), I Carty for Ryan (69).

GALWAY: E Murphy; J Grealish, G McInerney, D Morrissey; E Lawless, P Mannion, T J Brennan; T Killeen, S Linnane (0-1); T Monaghan (0-2), E Niland (0-10, 7 frees,0-1, '65), J Flynn (0-2); C Whelan (0-3), D O'Shea (0-1), J Mannion (0-1). 

Subs: R Murphy for Killeen (ht), B Concannon (0-1) for J Mannion (ht), O Salmon for Brennan (ht), L Collins (0-2) for O'Shea (59); J Fitzpatrick for McInerney (67).

Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow).