Wexford 1-23 Clare 2-17
Wexford's rise up the Allianz Football League ladder continued at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis as they edged out hosts Clare by 1-23 to 2-17 to keep their promotion fate in their own hands.
Having just come up from Division 4 this season, the Model County are now within touching distance of back-to-back promotions after ending Clare’s hopes at the penultimate stage.
With the home side and Leinster duo Wexford and Westmeath locked on levels points entering Sunday’s action, this was essentially a knockout bout that the visitors ultimately deserved to emerge from unscathed.
With the aid of a strong wind at their backs, Wexford’s low-key opening saw them deadlocked with their opponents at 0-04 to 0-04, but there was a spectacular finish to the half as they excelled with six two-pointers and a Shane Doyle goal to power into a 15-point interval cushion.
A bruised Banner were simply stunned into submission as three two-pointers in as many minutes through Mark Rossiter, goalkeeper Darragh Brooks and centre-back Eoghan Nolan provided the inspiration to build on for the remainder.
An Aaron Griffin free in riposte was wiped away by a 25th-minute rebound goal for Doyle after goalkeeper Stephen Ryan could only parry a dipping two-point attempt from substitute Glen Malone.
Not content with being nine points in front by the half-hour mark, John Hegarty’s side powered into the break as a brace of Páiric Hughes double-pointers sandwiched a second for full-forward Rossiter at 1-18 to 0-06.
Amazingly, Clare would fall 16 points in arrears before finally embarking on an equally swashbuckling comeback challenge, with the wind at their backs in the second half.
A Connor Meaney two-pointer sparked a 1-05 unanswered surge that was perfectly capped off by a 43rd-minute goal for Eoin Cleary after the home side hunted in packs to overturn Wexford’s last line at 1-19 to 1-11.
Sean Nolan broke that trend with successive points at the other end but with the bit between their teeth, Clare found another gear entering the final quarter after a foul on the raiding Cormac Murray earned a penalty that Mark McInerney duly finished to the bottom right corner of Darragh Brooks’ net.
Clare talisman McInerney would garner a further break of two-pointers, allied to one for Eoin Cleary as the hosts slashed the arrears to just three by the 63rd minute.
However, despite four more two-point attempts, Paul Madden’s side simply failed to make any further inroads as a defiant Wexford held out to tee up a perfect winner-takes-all promotion showdown at home to Westmeath next Sunday.
Wexford: Darragh Brooks (0-04, 2tpf); Liam O’Connor, Gavin Sheehan, Eoin Porter (0-01); Shane Doyle (1-00), Eoghan Nolan (0-03, 1tp), Dylan Furlong; Liam Coleman, Cathal Kehoe; Niall Hughes, Pairic Hughes (0-05, 2tp), Colum Feeney; Tom Byrne, Mark Rossiter (0-05, 2tp), Sean Nolan (0-05, 3f)
Subs: Glen Malone for Feeney (23), Jack Higgins for E. Nolan (28, inj), Cian Hughes for Byrne (49), Robbie Brooks for Furlong (60), Michael Kinsella for Kehoe (64)
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan, Alan Sweeney; Brendy Rouine, Connor Meaney (0-02, 1tp), Ikem Ugwueru; Brian McNamara (0-01), Cillian Brennan; Daniel Walsh, Aaron Griffin (0-03, 1f), Shane Griffin; Eoin Cleary (1-03, 1tp, 1f), Mark McInerney (1-07, 1-00 Pen, 1tpf, 1tp, 1f), Cormac Murray
Subs: Josh Vaughan for Walsh (HT), Jamie Stack for S. Griffin (49)
