Tailteann Cup Preliminary Quarter-Final

Wexford 1-22 Offaly 2-14

By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park

They endured an injury-plagued campaign in Division Four of the Allianz Football League this year and never got off the ground in the Leinster Championship either, but Wexford are picking up momentum nicely in the Tailteann Cup, and this afternoon they completely overwhelmed an Offaly side that looked lethargic and tired, unable to keep pace with their free-scoring opponents.

Last weekend John Hegarty watched as ten of his players got on the scoresheet in their win over Leitrim, and today his players matched that number, while also posting all 1-22 of their final tally from play. It could have been much more too, but for the heroics of Offaly goalkeeper Ian Duffy, who produced three absolutely top drawer saves that prevented Wexford from running riot entirely.

An early goal from an Anton Sullivan penalty, scored after Mark Rossiter had just palmed the ball into the crossbar at the other end of the field, represented a dream start for Offaly, but they simply were unable to build on it as Wexford controlled possession and played the majority of their football in the Offaly half of the field.

Their pace, power and mobility at half-back and midfield completely overwhelmed the home side, who hung into the game with the aid of the breeze in the first half, but were soon blown out of the water once they were reduced to 14 men five minutes into the second, following a second yellow card for Joe Maher.

Even in the opening 35 minutes, Wexford's midfield and half-back lines were particularly dominant, running the ball directly and freely through the middle third to set up good chances. Inaccuracy and some brilliant saves from Duffy, allied to good points from Sullivan, Nigel Dunne and Cian Farrell at the other end, kept Offaly's noses in front throughout the half, up until stoppage time.

That all changed when Mark Rossiter slammed a goal to the Offaly net after a typically direct, incisive move right through the heart of the midlanders’ defence, helping Wexford to take a 1-10 to 1-7 lead into the interval.

Ciarán Donnelly struck the first point of the second half to reduce the gap to two points, but once Maher saw red for his second bookable offence, Offaly never looked like keeping tabs on their much more tuned in and energetic opponents. Seven of the next nine points went Wexford’s way as they continued to rack up the scores with relative ease, and another incredible point blank save from Duffy to deny Brian Molloy prevented the lead from growing even further. Ben Brosnan came off the bench to chip in with some nice scores, and while the Offaly backs fared moderately well in one-on-one situations, they were put into impossible positions by the endless flow of good possession and runners through from midfield.

Substitutes Bernard Allen and Nigel Bracken did their best to stem the tide after their introduction, they were never in contention to mount a comeback, and were eight points adrift when Aaron Leavy flicked in their second goal in the last play of the game.

SCORERS FOR WEXFORD: Mark Rossiter 1-4, Eoghan Nolan 0-4, Brian Molloy 0-3, Kevin O’Grady 0-2, Glen Malone 0-2, Robbie Brooks 0-2, Ben Brosnan 0-2, Páraic Hughes 0-1, Niall Hughes 0-1, John Tubritt 0-1.

SCORERS FOR OFFALY: Anton Sullivan 1-1 (1-0 pen), Nigel Dunne 0-3 (0-1f), Rúairí McNamee 0-3 (0-2f), Bernard Allen 0-3 (0-1f), Aaron Leavy 1-0, Cian Farrell 0-2 (0-1m), Ciarán Donnelly 0-1, Peter Cunningham 0-1.

WEXFORD: Darragh Brooks; Brian Cushe, Eoin Porter, Michael Furlong; Glen Malone, Dylan Furlong, Brian Molloy; Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes; Páraic Hughes, Eoghan Nolan, Alan Tobin; Robbie Brooks, Mark Rossiter, Kevin O'Grady.

SUBS: Ben Brosnan for O’Grady (50), Conor Kinsella for Nolan (60), Darragh Lyons for Tobin (62), John Tubritt for Brooks (65), Liam O’Connor for M Furlong (67).

OFFALY: Ian Duffy; Ciarán Donnelly, Declan Hogan, David Dempsey; Lee Pearson, Conor McNamee, Cian Donohoe; Peter Cunningham, Aaron Leavy; Jordan Hayes, Ruairí McNamee, Anton Sullivan; Cian Farrell, Joe Maher, Nigel Dunne.

SUBS: Nigel Bracken for Donohoe (45), Bernard Allen for Dunne (45), Jamie Evans for Farrell (48), Morgan Tynan for C McNamee (55), Aaron Brazil for Donnelly (60).

REF: David Murnane (Cork).