Wexford Overcome Naive Offaly

Leinster SHC Quarter-final
Wexford 2-17 Offaly 0-16

By Denis O'Brien

A fine Wexford second-half performance proved too much for an Offaly team lacking in guile both on and off the field at sun-splashed Wexford Park in this opening quarterfinal of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship last Saturday evening.

The sides were level after a tight first-half but Wexford dominated affairs in the early part of the second period, knocking over six points without reply. This stretch provided the Model men the platform to go on and win the game.

Wexford were in control and ahead by eight points with 13 minutes left to play but that was when Offaly managed to finally wake up.

In their best period of the second-half, they landed five unanswered points to leave just a goal in it with four left on the clock.

But a point by the accurate Diarmuid Lyng steadied Wexford before a crucial goal by full forward, Stephen Banville, his second of the evening, put paid to Offaly's late charge.

Indeed, Banville had earlier given David Kenny a hard time, scoring 1-1 off him and the Offaly full-back who had been in doubt with a hamstring injury was left flat footed again for that vital second goal.

The Faithful had their chances in that half with two penalties awarded but neither converted with the first one saved at a time when the game was running away from them.

Their manager, Joe Dooley's decision to leave Kenny at full-back must be brought into question as Banville, although mysteriously moved to wing-forward for a period in the second-half, when restored to the edge of the square, continued where he had left off in the first.

Wexford went into the game on the back of their recent defeat to Offaly in the Division 2 League final at Thurles.

However a series of injuries to Wexford didn't help their championship preparation with Eoin Quigley (cruciate) and Colm Farrell (broken leg) out for the season, while Keith Rossiter, Stephen Nolan, and Darren Stamp were confined to the bench with injury.

The Faithful looked the sharper in the early going when leading by 0-3 to 0-1 but the 11th minute brought a change when Wexford struck for their first goal.

A low delivery into strong full-forward, Stephen Banville, saw full-back David Kenny caught on the wrong side of his marker. Banville turned leaving Kenny in his wake and fired home a good goal low into the left corner of the Offaly net.

Diarmuid Lyng stretched the gap to two but Offaly responded well with points from Brendan Murphy, impressive corner forward Shane Dooley and Joe Bergin to restore the lead.

Poor marking by Offaly's defense saw Stephen Doyle with a ton of room chip over to level the scores with 20 minutes gone in the game. Both sides then swapped points to the break in a close affair.

In that period, Banville grabbed a further score and was clearly having the better of the battle with Kenny. A failed clearance attempt by the young full-back, left the way open for impressive youngster Tomas Waters to bear down on goal and just as he was prepared to fire, corner back David Franks came from nowhere to make a brilliant interception.

Wexford could do nothing wrong for the first 15 minutes after the restart when they fired over six unanswered points with the accurate Lyng landing three of those from frees. During that period, with Wexford having pulled three clear, Offaly had a great chance to get back in the game when a penalty was awarded after Bergin was pulled down. But Shane Dooley's poorly struck free was saved and a Brendan Murphy follow up was also cleared to safety.

Wexford held an eight-point advantage into the latter stages but then the momentum switched back to Offaly with points from Kevin Brady, Dooley, Rory Hanniffy (an inspirational effort), Bergin and Brian Carroll (free) leaving three in it.

Lyng fired over an important point for Wexford before Banville plucked a long free from the air and, under pressure, did well to find the back of the net for the all important score.

With a minute remaining Offaly had a last gasp chance with another penalty but Brian Carroll's shot was saved brilliantly by Wexford's talismanic goalkeeper, Damien Fitzhenry.