Late points from Conor Hearne and Simon Roche spared Wexford hurlers as they staved off a determined second-half revival from Down in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League second round Division 1B clash at a sunny but icy McKenna Park, Ballycran.
Wexford looked destined for a comfortable visit north when leading by 0-20 to 0-12 at the break after dominating the closing twenty minutes of the first-half.
But memories of the 2023 championship humbling by Westmeath – when Wexford squandered a 17 point advantage – began to flash through Model County minds as Down battled back to parity after 66 minutes (0-25 apiece).
The visitors ultimately pulled through following four anxiety-filled minutes of added-time, but Keith Rossiter’s charges face a serious inquest ahead of hosting Carlow on Saturday.
Down, meanwhile, will be emboldened by what they brought to the closing period here as they hit the road for Clare on Sunday.
The sides shared the first ten points, with the home-side leading briefly when Pearse Óg McCrickard slotted a second free in the fifth-minute (0-03 to 0-02).
Donal Hughes and Eoghan Sands also chipped in for Ronan Sheehan’s side, with McCrickard sending over three early scores – including a line-ball.
Defender Richie Lawlor had drawn first-blood for Wexford after 33 seconds, and Ross Banville, the experienced Kevin Foley, Ciarán Regan and goalie Mark Fanning (free) – the hero from the victory over Antrim – kept the visitors on terms in the tight opening exchanges.
But, with Lawlor influential at the back, Wexford established control of the scoreboard when notching twelve of the fourteen points between the twelfth and 25th minutes to forge clear by 0-17 to 0-07.
Kevin Foley and young-gun Simon Roche led the charge with a trio of points apiece during that spell, as Jack Redmond and Tomás Kinsella, with two apiece, along with James Byrne and Banville swelled the margin.
Eoghan Sands and sharpshooter McCrickard pegged it back to 0-17 to 0-09 after 28 minutes before an even finish to the half saw Wexford resting on a 0-20 to 0-12 interval advantage.
But Down were re-energised on the resumption as they had the Wexford defence under unrelenting pressure when closing to within 0-22 to 0-21 after 51 minutes.
Wing-back Niall McFarland, sub Daithí Swords, Cathal Coleman, McCrickard, substitute Paul Sheehan (four) and Liam Savage bisected the Wexford uprights with growing conviction as the visitors clung on to the lead through Tomás Kinsella and Simon Roche (free).
The latter ended a seventeen-minute Wexford scoring impasse with another free conversion as he opened-up a 0-23 to 0-21 gap after 57 minutes.
Down kept battling with purpose though and eventually bridged the gap once more as the game slipped into the 66th minute (0-25 apiece) as Donal Hughes, free-taker Sheehan, Liam Savage and Daithí Swords fuelled home hopes.
Wexford had fired a bunch of potentially costly wides around that time, and they were guilty of firing two more after Conor Hearne, with a 69th minute score, and Simon Roche, a minute into added-time, hauled them over the line.
Down: Pearce Smyth; Ronan Smyth, Tom Murray, Ben Taggart; Barry Trainor, Caolan Taggart, Niall McFarland (0-01); Matthew Conlan, Donal Hughes (0-02); Shea Pucci (0-01), Pearse Óg McCrickard (0-09, 6f), Liam Savage (0-02); Cathal Coleman (0-01), Ronan Beatty, Eoghan Sands (0-02).
Subs: Daithí Sands (0-02) for Pucci (35), Paul Sheehan (0-05, 4f) for McCrickard (44), Eoin Pucci for Coleman (48), Conor Cassidy for Taggart (59), Michael Dorrian for Murray (63).
Wexford: Mark Fanning (0-01, 1f); David Clarke, Philip Dempsey, Darragh Carley; Richie Lawlor (0-01), Conor Foley, Eamon Wickham; Conor Hearne (0-02), Ross Banville (0-02); James Byrne (0-01), Simon Roche (0-08, 6f), Kevin Foley (0-04); Tomás Kinsella (0-04), Jack Redmond (0-03), Ciarán Regan (0-01).
Subs: Damien Reck for Clarke (35), Cian Byrne for Regan (43), Darren Codd for J. Byrne (48), David Codd for Banville (49), Diarmuid O’Leary for Dempsey (63).
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin).
