Laois 0-25 Wexford 5-21
Goals were key as Wexford claimed their third win of Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling league, with a 5-21 to 0-25 victory over Laois in Portlaoise.
Wexford netted early on thanks to Liam Óg McGovern, and although Laois powered back before half-time, and indeed moved in front, Wexford led by 1-11 to 0-13 at the interval and pushed on in the second half.
Despite Laois’s best efforts, Wexford were simply goal hungry on the restart, with Conor McDonald (2), David Redmond and Paudge Doran all raising green flags on the way to an 11-point win.
Laois came into this game buoyed on by a four-point away win over Antrim last weekend, while Wexford were keen to bounce back after a slender one-point home loss to Limerick.
With Jack Guiney and Paul Morris out due to injury, it gave the opportunity for Aidan Nolan to make his first appearance of the year for the Slaneysiders, having returned to action following a broken finger.
The sides swapped early pointed frees with Ian Byrne and Zane Keenan on target, but Wexford stayed on top for most of the opening half, with McGovern’s sixth minute goal keeping them ahead.
Laois responded with a Cha Dwyer point, but Wexford moved 1-05 to 0-04 ahead after 14 minutes, with Byrne and WIT student Harry Kehoe on target.
However, Laois fought back strongly with scores from Willie Hyland, Cha Dwyer, Paddy Whelan and Paddy Purcell.
A Hyland score levelled the tie on 23 minutes at 0-10 to 1-07 before Purcell edged the hosts ahead for the first time.
Wexford levelled as Byrne fired his fourth point, but Hyland pushed Laois back in front.
Little separated the sides in the closing stages of the half, with a Whelan score handing Laois a 0-13 to 1-09 lead on 31 minutes, but scores from Byrne and McDonald saw Wexford take a slender lead at the break.
Wind assisted Laois looked to up their game in the second half, but disaster struck for Seamus Plunkett’s side soon after the restart, after a long ball from McDonald was misjudged by keeper Eoin Reilly, finishing in the back of the net.
Hyland and UL Fitzgibbon Cup winner PJ Scully responded with scores, but Redmond responded with Wexford’s third goal, and from there until the finish they kept on top.
3-11 to 0-15 ahead, and despite Laois cutting the gap to three points in the 51st minute, Wexford held firm with McDonald and Doran firing late goals on the way to an 11-point win.
WEXFORD: N Breen; L Ryan (0-01), M O’Hanlon, E Moore; P Foley, L Chin (0-01), E Conroy; A Shore, D Redmond (1-01); D O’Keeffe (0-01), P Doran (1-00), I Byrne (0-15); L Óg McGovern (1-00), C McDonald (2-02), H Kehoe (0-01).
Subs: K Foley for D O’Keeffe (52); C Devitt for P Foley (60); A Nolan for D Redmond (64); E Martin for E Moore (66); G Sinnott for H Kehoe (66).
LAOIS: E Reilly; JA Delaney, C Healy, B Stapleton; J Fitzpatrick, M Whelan, J Walsh; P Whelan (0-03), P Purcell (0-02); W Hyland (0-06), Z Keenan (0-07), C Dwyer (0-03); R King (0-01), N Foyle, PJ Scully (0-03).
Subs: T Fitzgerald for N Foyle (28); T Delaney for M Whelan (HT); J Campion for King (HT); C Dunne for J Walsh (55); B Conroy for Hyland (68).
REFEREE: John Keenan (Wicklow)
