Jack Redmond blasted a hat-trick as Wexford scored a psychological blow over Kildare in Saturday's closing Division 1B Allianz Hurling League clash at sunny but nippy Chadwicks Wexford Park.
With Dublin comfortably mastering Carlow, it deprived both these sides from gaining promotion - Wexford seeking an immediate return to 1A, while Kildare were hunting a second successive promotion if their first campaign outside Division 2 in 46 years.
This amounted to a dress-rehearsal for the rematch of the sides in the Leinster Championship on the third weekend of April.
And emerging talent Redmond helped Wexford forge a confident 1-10 to 0-8 half-time lead before the Rathnure sharpshooter added two second-half blows in a resounding victory.
Kildare settled into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after seven minutes courtesy of Gerry Keegan and David Qualter (two frees).
But Wexford soon found their footing to tie on 0-3 apiece ten minutes in as Simon Roche’s early brace was added to by a Jack Redmond leveller.
The home-side had threatened the goal in the third minute only for Seán Rowley to flash across the face of goal and wide.
But the Oylegate-Glenbrien man made amends when edging Wexford in front for the first time after fifteen minutes.
Although Jack Sheridan quickly restored parity (0-4 apiece), the purple and gold were hitting some rhythm and struck 1-5 without reply between the seventeenth and 28th minutes to soar ahead 1-9 to 0-4.
Captain Lee Chin and Darren Codd each chipped in with doubles while wing-back Damien Reck also bisected the uprights as Jack Redmond rattled the net from a Chin assist in the twentieth minute.
Reck was bringing his influence to bear, and the defender forced a fine save from Kildare stopper Mark Doyle from a Jack Redmond pass.
Despite surging eight points clear, Wexford wouldn’t have been happy with their finishing, and they reached the interval with a 1-10 to 0-8 advantage but having struck twelve wides – double Kildare’s tally.
The purple and gold were certainly sharper on the resumption, as they scorched Kildare for 1-3 without reply to surge ahead by 2-13 to 0-8 after 41 minutes.
Rowley, Diarmuid O’Leary and Roche launched the points while Jack Redmond sank his second personal goal from a cross-field delivery by Conor Hearne.
There was an air of inevitability about the outcome from there even though Kildare showed spirited resistance when shaving the gap to 2-14 to 0-11 after 46 minutes through Sheridan, Keegan and substitute Cian Boran.
And Brian Dowling’s men demonstrated further resolve when Qualter brought it back to 2-19 to 1-12 when netting after 51 minutes from a Jack Sheridan set up.
But Jack Redmond lashed back with his hat-trick score, blasting home from a Cian Byrne pass, to reassert Wexford’s command 53 minutes in (3-19 to 1-12).
And after a subsequent surge of Wexford points (3-23 to 1-14), they were twice denied goals in the 60th minute – sub Rory Higgins firing inches wide from a Chin lay off, while Cian Byrne met with a masterful block by Cathal McCabe.
Regardless, Wexford struck a real blow ahead of the big championship rematch next month.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; David Clarke, Conor Foley, Darragh Carley; Diarmuid O’Leary (0-2), Conor Hearne, Damien Reck (0-2); Lee Chin (0-7, 2 frees), Richie Lawlor (0-1); Darren Codd (0-2), Simon Roche (0-5), Ciarán O’Connor; Seán Rowley (0-3), Cian Byrne (0-2, 1 ’65, 1 free), Jack Redmond (3-3).
Subs: Cillian Byrne (0-1) for Codd (44), Stephen Martin for Reck (56), Rory Higgins (0-1) for Redmond (56), Ross Banville for O’Connor (56), Eoin O’Leary for Clarke (63).
Kildare: Mark Doyle; Evan O’Brien, Rian Boran, Dan O’Meara; Simon Leacy, Paul Dolan, Harry Carroll; Daire Guerin, Alan Goss; David Qualter (0-3 frees), Jack Sheridan (0-3, 1 free), Gerry Keegan (0-5); James Dolan, Cathal McCabe (0-1), Darragh Melville.
Subs: Cian Boran (0-2) for J. Dolan (44), Liam O’Reilly for P. Dolan (56), Conn Kehoe for Melville (56), Seán Whelan for Qualter (65), Cian Shanahan for McCabe (68).
Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim).
