When the two group leaders went at it toe-to-toe
in the opening35 minutes it was with the home
side struggling for possession it was Down who
led 0-2 to 0-0 after 10 minutes through points
from Declan Rooney and John Clarke. The Model
County side had to wait until the 13th minute
for their opener -- an Eric Bradley30-metre
point from play.
Early on, Down hit a real purple
patch. Centre-back Liam Doyle stormed forward
to join in an attack at the end of which he
pointed, and there were further points to follow
from John Fegan, Jack Lynch, Doyle (free) to
lead 0-6 to 0-1 after twenty-seven minutes.
Wexford finished the half with
points from Matty Forde, Shane Roche and Colm
Morris, while Cathal Magee managed one in between
for the visitors who led 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval.
Wexford sprang to life in the
second half and in a gripping four-minute spell
grabbed two goals which changed the whole course
of the game.
After 37 minutes, Forde sent
over a great centre that was flicked to the
net by Adrian Flynn, while four minutes later
Wexford ace Martin Cole took the ball forward,
dummied 'keeper Brendan McVeigh before slotting
the ball into an empty net, leaving them with
a 2-4 to 0-8 lead.
With this boost, Wexford went
on to make it 2-8 to 0-9 .
SCORERS -- Wexford: M Forde
1-2 (1f), A Flynn 1-1, S Roche 0-3, C Morris,
E Bradley 0-1 each. Down: L Doyle (1f), J Clarke
0-2 each; D Rooney, J Lynch, J Fegan, D Hughes,
C Magee 0-1 each.
Wexford -- A Masterson; C Morris,
P Wallace, D Walsh; N O'Sullivan, B Malone,
P Curtis; E Bradley, B Doyle; B Brosnan, R Barry,
A Flynn; C Byrne, S Roche, M Forde. Subs: P
Colfer for Curtis 26; C Lyng for Brosnan 26;
D Murphy for Byrne 35; A Morrissey for Bradley
67; J Hudson for O'Sullivan 69.
Down -- B McVeigh; C McGovern,
G McArdle, M Cole; R Murtagh, L Doyle, D Rooney;
A Rogers, J Lynch; J Fegan, K McKernan, D Hughes;
J Clarke, C Magee, R Sexton. Subs: L Howard
for Lynch 45; B Coulter for Clarke 50; P McCumiskey
for Fegan 50; C Murney for Magee 69; P Downey
for McArdle 69.
REF -- P Russell (Tipperary).
