Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

WEXFORD 1-30 ANTRIM 1-26

By Ronan Fagan at Chadwicks Wexford Park

Wexford overcame a keen Antrim challenge to give their Leinster SHC round-robin campaign a much needed shot in the arm with Saturday’s round two victory at Chadwicks Wexford Park.

While merited, the result wasn’t entirely convincing by Darragh Egan’s crew, although they appeared set for a confidence-enriching win when leading 1-19 to 1-10 at half-time.

But Antrim pressed them with an invigorated second-half challenge only to fall short of the mark as Darren Gleeson’s men face into a testing series of games against Kilkenny (home), Galway (away) and Westmeath (away).

Wexford will surely appreciate that this performance – having been exposed by Galway in round one – will hardly measure up away to Dublin next week, before hosting both Westmeath and Kilkenny.

Wexford were boosted by captain Lee Chin’s return from injury as he took over from Conor McDonald in the starting team, and the hosts bounced 0-3 to no-score ahead inside three minutes as Rory O’Connor sandwiched a submission from Liam Óg McGovern before a 4,200 attendance.

Antrim shot back to within 0-3 to 0-2 after five minutes as Seaan Elliott and Gerard Walsh (free) made an impact.

The sides exchanged scores before Oisín Foley began to dazzle for the home-side with a quick brace to fashion a 0-6 to 0-3 tenth minute advantage.

But Antrim struck back with venom seconds later when James McNaughton dashed in from the right to crash home an equalising goal (1-3 to 0-6).

The response from Wexford was telling, however, as they accounted for 1-6 of the next 1-7 tallied between the eleventh and seventeenth minutes, including a Jack O’Connor points double, before his younger brother, Rory, set Cathal Dunbar dancing past a couple of defenders to goal in the 14th minute.

Lee Chin hit the scoresheet with a point from play to complete Wexford’s surge to a 1-12 to 1-4 advantage.

Tenacious Antrim weren’t deterred though as they chipped away with Michael Bradley, Conal Cunning, Keelan Molloy and McNaughton shaving the gap to 1-13 to 1-8 by the 25th minute.

But Wexford packed the more potent shooters as they extended 1-19 to 1-10 clear at the break, with defender Simon Donohoe hitting the mark along with Oisín Foley (two), Jack O’Connor and Chin (two frees).

However, Antrim had gone agonisingly close to netting in the 35th minute when Keelan Molloy fed substitute Rian McMullan, only for McMullan to be thwarted at the expense of a ‘65.

There was a personnel scare for Wexford late in the half as full-back Liam Ryan went down with an ankle injury, and he couldn’t continue into a mist-drenched second-half as Joe O’Connor took over.

And the Wexford rearguard was on its toes as Antrim resumed with purpose, closing to within 1-20 to 1-14 by the 42nd minute as Neil McManus, Conal Cunning (free), sub Rian McMullan and Conor Johnston made clear their intent.

Wexford were steadied momentarily as Lee Chin and Rory O’Connor responded, and the latter and his elder brother, Jack, helped put further distance between the sides after 51 minutes (1-25 to 1-16).

But with Wexford unable to kill off the tie, Antrim always sensed an opportunity, and Cunning (three frees) together with subs McMullan, Paul Boyle and Séamie McAuley had them within 1-28 to 1-23 by the 65th minute.

And they were again denied a goal when Wexford ‘keeper James Lawlor snuffed out a close-range attempt from Keelan Molloy on the stroke of the 70th minute.

Antrim kept pressing, but late points from Rory O’Connor and sub Richie Lawlor helped haul the locals to the relief of victory, with Neil McManus’ attempt to goal from a last-gasp free merely rocketing between the uprights.

Scorers for Wexford: Lee Chin 0-8 (4 frees, 1 ‘65), Rory O’Connor 0-7, Cathal Dunbar 1-2, Jack O’Connor 0-5, Oisín Foley 0-4, Liam Óg McGovern 0-2, Simon Donohoe, Richie Lawlor 0-1 each.

Scorers for Antrim: Conal Cunning 0-13 (10 frees, 2 ‘65s), James McNaughton 1-1, Neil McManus (1 free), Rian McMullan 0-2 each, Seaan Elliott, Gerard Walsh (free), Michael Bradley, Keelan Molloy, Conor Johnston, Niall O’Connor, Paul Boyle, Séamie McAuley 0-1 each.

Wexford: James Lawlor; Matthew O’Hanlon, Liam Ryan, Conor Foley; Simon Donohoe, Shane Reck, Conor Devitt; Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Conor Hearne; Jack O’Connor, Lee Chin, Oisín Foley; Liam Óg McGovern, Rory O’Connor, Cathal Dunbar.

Subs: Joe O’Connor for Ryan, inj. (HT), Conor McDonald for Hearne (46), Kevin Foley for O’Keeffe (54), Mikie Dwyer for J. O’Connor (59), Richie Lawlor for Dunbar (69).

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Paddy Burke, Ryan McGarry, Niall O’Connor; Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Scott Walsh; Michael Bradley, Seaan Elliott; Keelan Molloy, Joe Maskey, James McNaughton; Conal Cunning, Neil McManus, Conor Johnston.

Subs: Rian McMullan for Maskey (32), Paul Boyle for S. Walsh (33), Eoin O’Neill for S. Elliott (45), Séamie McAuley for Johnston (55), Domhnall Nugent for Campbell (64).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).