A second-half double goal blast from full-forward Ruairí McCann propelled Andy McEntee's Antrim to successive opening Group 4 victories in the Tailteann Cup as Wexford suffered at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday.
The hosts, having drawn with Fermanagh in round one, led 0-11 to 0-09 at half-time but only after twice denying Antrim goals.
However, Aghagallon man McCann worked the magic in the 43rd and 45th minute to give Antrim a hold which they maintained to the finish in a 2-15 to 0-14 triumph.
Antrim now face off against neighbours Fermanagh in a fight for automatic passage to the quarter-finals, while Wexford seek victory against Leitrim to stay in the hunt to, at worst, advance as one of the three best-placed third teams.
Wexford sprung out of the traps against Antrim to lead 0-03 to 0-01 after four minutes, with defender-turned-attacker Páraic Hughes landing a neat brace.
However, the home net had a fortunate escape during that spell after a slick Antrim move culminated in Conor Stewart being thwarted by Eoin Porter's low intervention.
Dominic McEnhill shaved the gap to 0-03 to 0-02 from a sixth minute free.
But, despite injury robbing them of the impetus of Páraic Hughes, composed Wexford extended 0-09 to 0-04 clear after 23 minutes.
Kevin O’Grady sent over a couple of gems, while corner-back Michael Furlong also hit the scoresheet following a length-of-the-field surge from 'keeper Darragh Brooks, with Mark Rossiter (2) and Ben Brosnan (free) also contributing.
The assured free-taking of Antrim netminder Michael Byrne was keeping the Glen’s men in the fight, with his third conversion narrowing the gap to 0-09 to 0-05 on 25 minutes.
Wexford substitute Richie Waters responded to establish a double-scores gap.
But determined Antrim whittled it down to 0-11 to 0-09 at the change-of-ends as 'keeper Byrne put over a ’45 after Patrick McBride had forced an intervention by the Wexford goalie in the 31st minute.
And Patrick Finnegan together with a Dominic McEnhill double had Antrim in the fight at the turn.
The visitors struck at the heart of home hopes as Wexford resumed with three wides before being floored for the concession of two goals within as many minutes.
The first arrived on 43 minutes when the two Ruairí McCanns combined – the Aghagallon version at full-forward declining a mark after gathering from his Kickham’s Cregan namesake to transform matters by 1-09 to 0-11.
And Wexford had hardly recovered before the Aghagallon McCann struck again in the 45th minute, netting a tidy finish after an assist from defender Patrick McCormick (2-09 to 0-11).
Wexford were left chasing the game thereafter, with their goal living a charmed life as four further gilt-edged Antrim goaling threats were denied.
It didn’t help either that Wexford lost defender Conor Carty to a dismissal in the 51st minute after a black-card offence followed an earlier yellow.
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-05, 3 frees, 2 ‘45s); Ronan Boyle, Peter Healy, Patrick McCormick; Patrick McBride, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese; Cathal Hynds, Conor Stewart (0-01); Patrick Finnegan (0-02), Adam Loughran, Ruairí McCann (Kickham’s Creggan); Marc Jordan (0-01), Ruairí McCann (Aghagallon, 2-00), Dominic McEnhill (0-06, 1 free, 1 mark).
Subs: Declan Lynch for Healy (59), Odhran Eastwood for Loughran (66), Oisín Doherty for P. Finnegan (68), Barry McCormick for J. Finnegan (68), Calum Higgins for McAleese (70).
Wexford: Darragh Brooks (0-02, free, ‘45); Conor Carty, Niall Hughes, Michael Furlong (0-01); Brian Molloy, Glen Malone, Eoin Porter; Cathal Walsh, Liam Coleman (0-01); Páraic Hughes (0-02), Eoghan Nolan (0-01), Kevin O’Grady (0-02); Robbie Brooks, Mark Rossiter (0-02), Ben Brosnan (0-02, 1 free).
Subs: Richie Waters (0-01) for P. Hughes, inj. (13), John Tubritt for R. Brooks (50), Conor Kinsella for Brosnan (50), Darragh Lyons for Walsh (55), Seán Nolan for Waters (61).
Referee: David Murnane (Cork).
