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ALL-IRELAND SHC ROUND 2: WEXFORD 3-15 WATERFORD 2-15
Wexford are through to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals for the first time since 2008. Liam Dunne’s Slaneysiders held on for a three-point victory over Waterford in front of 18,974 spectators at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on Saturday evening.
David Redmond’s second half goal handed Wexford a seven point lead but Waterford’s Colin Dunford scored two goals that helped to put the Deise back in front.
But it was Wexford, inspired by leading scorer Paul Morris, who held their nerve down the home straight to set up a meeting with Limerick in Thurles next Sunday.
In the first championship meeting between the two sides since 2008, Wexford led by 2-9 to 0-12 at half-time. Morris scored Wexford’s first goal in the eleventh minute and with the teams seemingly set for deadlock at the break, teenage sensation Conor McDonald took a pass from Liam Óg McGovern to score a second goal for the Model County.
The scene was set for a gripping second half and even though Wexford finished with another big wides tally – 15 in total – they have now taken another notable championship scalp following on from last weekend’s seismic elimination of 2013 All-Ireland champions Clare.
Redmond scorched through for a 41st minute goal that handed Wexford a 3-10 to 0-12 lead, but Waterford weren’t done yet and goals from Dunford in the 46th and 49th minutes turned the game on its head.
Dunford’s second goal handed Waterford a 2-14 to 3-10 lead before Morris tied the game for the sixth time in the 50th minute. Morris added three further points to put Wexford in command once again and the 56th minute point scored by Waterford sub Stephen Molumphy would prove to be their last score of the night.
In the 66th minute, Ian Byrne completed the scoring with a superb long-range point for Wexford and the final whistle was greeted by a mass purple and gold pitch invasion.
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Scorers for Wexford: P Mahony 0-7 (6f, 1 65), C Dunford 2-1, A Gleeson 0-3, J Dillon 0-2, S Walsh & S Molumphy 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: P Morris 1-6 (3f), C McDonald 1-2, D Redmond 1-0, L Óg McGovern & P Doran 0-2 each, D O’Keeffe, J Guiney & I Byrne 0-1 each.
WEXFORD: M Fanning; L Ryan, M O’Hanlon, K Rossiter; A Shore, E Moore, C Kenny; D Redmond, L Chin; H Kehoe, P Doran, J Guiney; P Morris, C McDonald, L Óg McGovern. Subs: D O’Keeffe for Kehoe (23), W Devereux for Rossiter (27), I Byrne for Devereux (54), G Sinnott for Redmond (65), R Jacob for McGovern (67).
WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; N Connors, L Lawlor, P Prendergast; S Fives, K Moran, D Fives; M Walsh, T De Burca; S O’Sullivan, P Mahony, A Gleeson; S Walsh, C Dunford, J Dillon. Subs: G O’Brien for S Walsh (15), S Molumphy for D Fives (43), S Prendergast for Dillon (44), M O’Neill for Mahony (56), S Bennett for Lawlor (62).
Referee: C Lyons (Cork)
Report from www.GAA.ie
