Report: Ronan Fagan
Wexford blew everything out but for the floodlights in a powerful late surge to victory over Dublin in Saturday evening’s fourth-round Allianz NHL Division 1 Group B clash at Croke Park.
And that was despite having being reduced to 13 players, as Wexford defied considerable odds to out-shoot the Sky Blues by 1-3 to 0-2 in the closing seven minutes – including six minutes of added-time – to drag back-to-back victories from out of the fire.
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Super-sub Jack O’Connor pounced with the decisive blow three minutes into added-time when latching onto a puck-out from ‘keeper Mark Fanning, racing in from the Cusack Stand and unleashing a powerful low drive from the front edge of the large parallelogram to the Hill 16-end net to turn the tables by 2-12 to 0-17.
The Slaneysiders didn’t look back after that as they savoured a result which assures them of passage to the quarter-finals at the minimum, while maintaining hopes of direct passage to the Division 1 semi-finals by possibly topping Group B with next Sunday’s closing group-game against Carlow to come.
Wexford’s first return to Croker since last July’s frustrating All-Ireland semi-final loss to Tipperary saw Matthew O’Hanlon notch his 100th appearance as he took over from Pádraig Foley at centre-back, while Lee Chin also made his first start of the season in attack in place of Jack O’Connor.
But the purple-and-gold were off-colour during a stop-start first-half hindered by over-fussy refereeing.
Although Lee Chin pointed the winners in front from a free after 50 seconds, they didn’t trouble the scoreboard again until the 15th-minute, when Paul Morris tied on 0-2 apiece.
Ten further minutes elapsed before Aidan Rochford found St. Anne’s colleague Diarmuid O’Keeffe racing into space for ‘Dee’ to fire over, and a Paul Morris free restored parity after 26 minutes (0-4 each).
Dublin continued to prosper with two pointed frees, and they were only prevented from inflicting further damage by a timely challenge from Rory O’Connor when wing-back Seán Moran advanced at pace and with purpose.
Wexford threatened to spark into action when Dublin defender Jake Malone fouled Aidan Rochford at the expense of a penalty when Shaun Murphy tried to locate Rochford. Mark Fanning rammed the penalty to the Canal-end net to turn the tables by 1-4 to 0-6 on 31 minutes, and Paul Morris extended the gap to two points.
But just as against Kilkenny six days earlier, Wexford surrendered ground approaching half-time as Dublin retrieved the whip-hand by 0-10 to 1-5 at the change-of-ends.
Things got gloomier for Wexford as the home-side extended clear by 0-14 to 1-8 before Conor McDonald was dismissed on a red-card in the 54th-minute for a challenge on Paddy Smyth.
Two majestic points from either wing by Rory O’Connor – the second being approved by the Hawk-eye score-detection system – roused Wexford as they closed to within 0-16 to 1-11 after 64 minutes.
But hopes were struck by another dismissal on 67 minutes, when Shaun Murphy suffered a second yellow-card.
Hawk-eye ruled out a Jack O’Connor ‘score’ before Dublin lost full-back Eoghan O’Donnell to a second yellow-card for shoving ‘Jack O’ into the hoarding.
Rory O’Connor had a free matched by a point from play by opponent Ronan Hayes as the Dubs maintained a slight edge inside added-time (0-17 to 1-12).
But the resultant puck-out was the source of gold – or, should one say, ‘goal-ed’ for Wexford – when Jack O’Connor determinedly found the Hill 16-end net to smack Wexford back into a lead which they wouldn’t relinquish (2-12 to 0-17).
Paul Morris made it 2-13 to 0-17 before Wexford enjoyed a let off when Mark Fanning saved from Paul Ryan before Cian Boland volleyed the breaking ball over the crossbar four minutes into injury-time.
Jack O’Connor sought out another goal only to be thwarted at the expense of a ’65, which Paul Morris popped over in the fading seconds to seal a character-driven escape to victory for Davy Fitzgerald’s men despite a largely disappointing display.
Wexford – Mark Fanning (1-0 penalty); Joe O’Connor, Liam Ryan, Conor Firman; Damien Reck, Matthew O’Hanlon, Shaun Murphy; Diarmuid O’Keeffe (0-1), Aidan Rochford; Kevin Foley, Aidan Nolan, Rory O’Connor (0-4, 1 free); Lee Chin (0-1 free), Mikey Dwyer, Paul Morris (0-7, 3 frees, 1 ’65).
Subs: temporary, Pádraig Foley for K Foley, 31-36; Pádraig Foley (0-1) for O’Hanlon (ht); Liam Óg McGovern for Rochford (ht); Jack O’Connor (1-0) for Chin (47); Conor McDonald for Dwyer; Cathal Dunbar for Nolan (69).
Dublin – Seán Brennan; Paddy Smyth, Eoghan O’Donnell, James Madden (0-1); Cian O’Callaghan, Daire Gray, Seán Moran; Chris Crummey (0-1), Jake Malone; Donal Burke (0-1), Rian McBride (0-2), Alex O’Neill; Oisín O’Rourke (0-1), Ronan Hayes (0-2, 1 free), David Keogh.
Subs: Paul Ryan (0-8 frees) for O’Rourke (14); Cian Boland (0-1) for O’Neill (43); Eamonn Dillon (0-1) for Keogh (53); Andrew Dunphy for O’Callaghan (57); Tomás Connolly for Madden (62).
Referee – Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
