Wexford cruise past Antrim to book Tailteann Cup quarter-final berth
The Model County had lost out on home soil to the Saffrons in the group stages of the last two campaigns. But Wexford had the perfect response to their dispiriting defeat to Fermanagh a week earlier as they revived their season with a thump.
Goals from Seán Nolan and Ben Brosnan shot Wexford 2-14 to 0-07 clear half-time, and they were a full 22 points clear before Antrim made some in-roads as Andy McEntee's sharges – semi-finalists in the last two years – completed a disappointing season.
John Hegarty's men are now facing a trip to Kildare, Limerick or Wicklow in the quarter-finals.
Midfielder Conor Hand slotted Antrim in front before Wexford through 'keeper Darragh Brooks from a '45 – after veteran Ben Brosnan had scorched through to force an intervention – and Martin O'Connor turned the tables by 0-02 to 0-01 after six minutes.
Dominic McEnhill pegged one back, but the Wexford netminder replied with a two-pointer free, and sharpshooter Seán Nolan (free) generated a 0-05 to 0-02 margin.
And Brooks underlined his worth in his chosen position when being smart to divert a McEnhill drive at the expense of a fruitless '45 in the twelfth minute, before Ryan McQuillan pegged it back to 0-05 to 0-03.
Brosnan weighed in with a two-pointer from the left wing on 21 minutes to stretch Wexford into a double-scores advantage (0-8 to 0-4).
And Seán Nolan buried a goal a minute later after swift approach play by Martin O'Connor and Jack Higgins to extend the daylight, with Nolan, Jack Higgins and another two-pointer free from Brooks making it 1-12 to 0-04 after 27 minutes.
Mark Rossiter squandered a gilt-edged goaling chance for Wexford. But after the sides traded two-pointers – Antrim goalie Michael Byrne and Wexford's Martin O'Connor – the purple and gold soared 2-14 to 0-07 ahead at the break after Ben Brosnan touched home a Mark Rossiter assist.
Páiric Hughes and Higgins widened the margin on the resumption before Wexford suffered the devastating blow of losing Martin O'Connor to a leg injury after an innocuous incident.
Wexford kept their focus nevertheless for Seán Nolan to help balloon the gap to 3-20 to 0-10 after he stitched his second goal on 52 minutes after nifty play by Higgins, captain Liam Coleman and Brosnan.
Mark Rossiter was among the goals on 57 minutes to open-up a 4-10 to 0-11 lead after substitute Kevin O'Grady played him in for an angled finish.
It wasn't as if the Wexford were napping, with 'keeper Brooks forced to make a masterful save from Adam Loughran before also denying Antrim corner-back Eoghan McCabe.
However, Patrick Finnegan netted for the visitors when the substitute turned over a bad kick-out to ease through to slim it down to 4-21 to 1-12 on 61 minutes.
And McEnhill had Antrim's second goal shortly afterwards with a looping finish from a Niall Burns' assist (4-23 to 2-12).
Seán Nolan was dangerously close to completing his hat-trick, before sub Robbie Brooks – elder brother of 'keeper Darragh - netted in added-time from a Páraic Hughes set up to complete a solid passage overall as Wexford return to the quarter-finals after a year's absence.
Wexford: Darragh Brooks (0-6, 2tpf); Michael Furlong, Gavin Sheehan, Eoin Porter; Martin O'Connor (0-3, 1tp), Glen Malone (0-2), Dylan Furlong; Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes; Michael Kinsella, Páraic Hughes (0-3), Mark Rossiter (1-1); Jack Higgins (0-3), Seán Nolan (2-3, 0-1f), Ben Brosnan (1-2, 1tp).
Subs: Kevin O'Grady for O'Connor, inj. (43), Robbie Brooks (1-0) for Brosnan (54), Cathal Walsh for Nolan (59), Ruairí Martin for Rossiter (66), Conor Carty for Kinsella (70+2).
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-6, 3tpf); Eoghan McCabe (0-1), Kavan Keenan, Eunan Walsh; Ronan Boyle, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese; Conor Hand (0-2), Conor Stewart; Patrick McBride, Adam Loughran, Marc Jordan; Ryan McQuillan (0-5, 2f), Ruairí McCann, Dominic McEnhill (1-5, 1tp, 1'45).
Subs: Niall Burns for Jordan (53), Patrick Finnegan (1-0) for McBride (53), Eunan Quinn (0-2, 1tp) for Stewart (56), James McAuley for McCabe (62).
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