Wexford's bid for back-to-back promotions still on course after Clare scalp

Cathal Kehoe of Wexford. Pic: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Division 3: Wexford 1-23 Clare 2-17 

Wexford’s remarkable bid for back-to-back National League promotions received its biggest endorsement yet when knocking hosts Clare out of the race in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg.

A scintillating second quarter in which the wind-assisted visitors outscored the Banner by 1-14 to 0-02 to soar a whopping 15 points clear by the interval proved decisive for John Hegarty’s side. 

Indeed, a shell-shocked Clare would fall 16 points in arrears before mounting an inevitable second half backlash including a brace of goals for chief marksman Eoin Cleary and Mark McInerney to slash the deficit to just a goal by the 63rd minute.

Despite four more two-point attempts from the increasingly desperate hosts, the inexorable sound of the hooter would also see Clare’s hopes of a return to the second tier dashed for a third successive season.

On the flip side, Wexford’s defiant finish means that they have a glorious winner-takes-all final round showdown against Westmeath next Sunday in Chadwick’s Wexford Park (2pm) for a place in the final against Down allied to that coveted Division 2 return for 2027.

It was no more than the Leinster side deserved for their swashbuckling second quarter blitz that was lit up by six two-pointers that perfectly sandwiched an opportunist goal for Shane Doyle in the 25th minute.

Nothing from the opening quarter suggested such a narrative twist as the sides had been level three times while Cormac Murray was unlucky to see a goal chance flash wide of the post for the home side in the 12th minute.

A trio of two-pointers in as many minutes through Mark Rossiter, goalkeeper Darragh Brooks and Eoghan Nolan completely altered the script though as while Aaron Griffin responded with a point at the other end, it would only be a temporary reprieve.

With the Banner haemorrhaging two-point efforts, a 25th-minute punt from substitute Glen Malone was parried by goalkeeper Stephen Ryan into the path of Doyle to return the ball with interest at 1-10 to 0-05.

Another hat-trick of two-pointers would complete the rout just before the break, two from the rampant Pairic Hughes while full-forward Rossiter also doubled his bounty to soar 1-18 to 0-06 clear by the interval.

The only way was up for Clare and they duly responded as Connor Meaney’s early two-pointer initiated a 1-5 unanswered rally that culminated in an Eoin Cleary goal after forcing Wexford’s last line into coughing up possession at 1-19 to 1-11 by the 43rd minute.

Sean Nolan did break that momentum with successive singles but a foul on the raiding Cormac Murray at the three-quarters mark reignited the home challenge once more as Mark McInerney coolly converted the resulting penalty low to the right corner.

Quickly followed by a pair of two-pointers from the same player, Eoin Cleary also got in on the double-point action to leave just three between the teams by the 63rd minute. 

A tense crescendo ensued but Clare’s incremental desperation allied to the leader’s resilience ensured that Wexford still have their promotion fate very much in their own hands for what is effectively a Division 3 Semi-Final against Leinster rivals Westmeath next Sunday.

Scorers for Wexford: M Rossiter (2tp), P Hughes (2tp), S Nolan (3f) 0-5 each; D Brooks 0-4 (2tpf); E Nolan 0-3 (1tp); S Doyle 1-0; E Porter 0-1. 

Scorers for Clare: M McInerney 1-7 (1-0 Pen, 1tpf, 1tp, 1f); E Cleary 1-4 (1tp, 1f); A Griffin 0-3 (1f); C Meaney 0-2 (1tp); B McNamara (0-1). 

Wexford: D Brooks; L O’Connor, G Sheehan, E Porter; S Doyle, E Nolan, D Furlong; L Coleman, C Kehoe; N Hughes, P Hughes, C Feeney; T Byrne, M Rossiter, S Nolan.

Subs: G Malone for Feeney (23), J Higgins for E. Nolan (28, inj), C Hughes for Byrne (49), R Brooks for Furlong (60), M Kinsella for Kehoe (64). 

Clare: S Ryan; M Doherty, R Lanigan, A Sweeney; B Rouine, C Meaney, I Ugwueru; B McNamara, C Brennan; D Walsh, A Griffin, S Griffin; E Cleary, M McInerney, C Murray.

Subs: J Vaughan for Walsh (ht), J Stack for S. Griffin (49). 

Referee: C Ryan (Galway).