Lee Chin's last gasp goal helps Wexford survive Offaly scare

RTÉ News​

17-05-2025

An injury-time Conor McDonald point and Lee Chin goal saw Wexford survive a major fright from Offaly in Saturday's Leinster Senior hurling championship showdown at sun-drenched Chadwicks Wexford Park.
The Slaneysiders struggled for long stages, and they actually didn't hit the front until substitute McDonald shot over from the left wing two minutes into added-time, while a minute later Chin flashed to the net from a Conor Hearne clearance.
That salvaged a second victory of the campaign for Wexford, and most importantly it rids them of any relegation worries, while maintaining their slim hopes of qualification.
Reigning Joe McDonagh Cup champions Offaly, meanwhile, after an heroic effort in seeking their first championship success over Wexford since 2012 are facing a straight shoot-out with Antrim in Tullamore next Sunday to determine who suffers the drop from the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Offaly availed of first assistance of the strong to bank a confidence enriching 1-2 to no-score deposit inside seven minutes.
Dan Ravenhill and Brian Duignan each posted frees before, just after Offaly 'keeper Mark Troy had denied Rory O'Connor, a long puck-out found Duignan to rattle the net at the opposite end.
But, after an exchange of points, slow-starting Wexford were lifted when Seamus Casey slipped in Kevin Foley to shave the gap to 1-3 to 1-1 with an eleventh minute major.
However, it remained a rather deflating effort from the home-side while Offaly managed to largely make the most of what came their way.
Indeed, a quick-fire brace of points from Killian Sampson helped embolden Johnny Kelly's charges as they stretched 1-7 to 1-2 clear after 25 minutes with Wexford struggling to stitch anything meaningful together.
Wexford were trying various arrangements at the back to curb the opposition as the purple and gold were robbed of the considerable defensive presence of Liam Ryan owing to a hamstring injury sustained in defeat to Galway.
The hosts did manage to cut the deficit to 1-9 to 1-5 before Cathal Dunbar utilised some fine trickery to burst through a forest of Offaly bodies and force Ben Conneely into an evasive challenge as Dunbar loomed large on goal.
That was at the expense of a '65 pointed by Chin, before Offaly defender Ross Ravenhill responded to give the Midlanders a merited 1-10 to 1-6 interval advantage.
Despite remaining quite patchy, Wexford grabbed six of the first eight points of the second-half to level matters for the first-time after 52 minutes (1-12 apiece).
Cian Byrne (two), Hearne, Chin (free), Cian Molloy and Jack O'Connor all found the range to lift locals amongst the 3,722 attendance as they reacted to early Offaly scores after the resumption from Daniel Bourke and defender Donal Shirley.
Three Duignan frees helped Offaly edge back in front 1-15 to 1-13 before Wexford sought to inject real threat into their faltering forward division when springing McDonald in place of Seamus Casey in the 60th minute.
Dunbar and Rory O'Connor both added points, the latter from distance despite a late hit, to restore parity for a third time after 64 minutes (1-15 apiece).
But after a further exchange of scores, McDonald snatched Wexford's first lead with a point two minutes into stoppage time, before Chin profited from a break off a Hearne clearance to stitch the net and complete a battling home success.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Eoin Ryan, Simon Donohoe, Conor Foley; Cian Molloy (0-1), Damien Reck, Darragh Carley; Conor Hearne (0-1), Cathal Dunbar (0-1); Jack O'Connor (0-1), Kevin Foley (1-1), Rory O'Connor (0-1); Cian Byrne (0-2), Lee Chin (1-8, 0-6 frees, 0-1 '65), Seamus Casey.
Subs: Conor McDonald (0-1) for Casey (60), Mikey Dwyer for Byrne (66), Simon Roche for J. O'Connor (70+4).
Offaly: Mark Troy; Ben Conneely, Ciarán Burke, Cathal King; Ross Ravenhill (0-1), Donal Shirley (0-1), Sam Bourke; Colin Spain, Killian Sampson (0-2); Oisín Kelly, Brian Duignan (1-9, 0-9 frees), Daniel Bourke (0-1); Jason Sampson, Dan Ravenhill (0-3, 2 frees), Charlie Mitchell.