Wexford's goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry turned from villain to hero to win the game for the Slaneysiders with a last minute penalty in Wexford's dramatic 4-10 to 2-15 win over Limerick at Croke Park this afternoon. The last gasp penalty was the Fitzhenry's second goal after he scored a penalty at the end of the first half – just a minute after an awful handling error which allowed Limerick's Barry Foley in for a goal.
This was a rip-roaring encounter in sharp contrast with the sleepy Derry-Galway encounter. Wexford came flying out of the blocks with a goal by Rory McCarthy in the first minute and they were four points up after ten minutes. Limerick clawed their way back into the game, however, and by the 20th minute the teams were level.
A mistake by the normally reliable Wexford goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry – who was dispossessed while trying to clear the ball – gave Barry Foley his second goal. But the Wexford goalkeeper made amends with an unstoppable penalty just two minutes later after a great run through the middle of the Limerick defence by full forward Larry Murphy. The pulsating half finished with a cheeky goal from Wexford's Paul Codd who shaped to take a point, but buried it to the back of the net from 21 yards out.
The second half was very intense with the lead going to and fro. Powered by the old guard of Ciaran Carey and Mark Foley, Limerick enjoyed the lion's share of the possession during the game but hit sixteen wides. Wexford were least wasteful, but still only scored four points in the second half. It looked bad for the Slaneysiders when Limerick's free-taker Paul O'Grady pulled his side ahead with a point five minutes from the end after Ciaran Carey set him up with some hard work in the middle of the field.
In the last minute of normal time, Limerick's big full forward finally got out ahead of Wexford's outstanding full back Darragh Ryan to put his side two points ahead. The game appeared to be over until Wexford's goalkeeping hero buried the ball to the back of the net for the second time.
Filed by Niall Reilly
