Wexford overcome lacklustre Offaly challenge to make Tailteann Cup quarter-finals

Two counties that are moving in very different directions ran into each other in this Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

It showed on the pitch as an athletic and energetic Wexford side made short work of an Offaly team that looked like they had little or nothing left in the tank after a tumultuous season.

Aaron Leavy’s late goal masked the gulf between the sides, as did a heroic effort from Ian Duffy in the Offaly goal, with four outstanding Wexford goal chances repelled by the Walsh Island man.

The run of scores would suggest that Wexford grew into the game as Offaly tired, but that was a product of the fresh breeze that blew down the ground, favouring Offaly in the opening half.

The Faithful County also got out to a dream start when a foot block by Darragh Brooks on Rúairí McNamee led to a goal from an Anton Sullivan penalty, but that only served to keep Offaly in a game where they were a distant second best.

Even after that, the result always looked predetermined, as in terms of energy and power, they were overwhelmed in the middle eight, with Wexford’s midfield and half-back lines particularly dominant.

Some good finishes from Nigel Dunne and Cian Farrell kept Offaly’s noses in front throughout the opening 25 minutes, meaning that Wexford only took the lead for the second time in first half stoppage time, when Mark Rossiter slammed the ball to the net after a typically direct, incisive move right through the heart of the midlanders’ defence.

Eoghan Nolan, Brian Molloy and Mark Rossiter kicked some excellent points in the opening half, capitalising on some efficient approach play, but they could easily have added at least a couple more goals.

Rossiter palmed one effort into the crossbar just before Offaly came back down the field to win their penalty for a foot block on Rúairí McNamee, and Duffy also made outstanding saves to block goalbound efforts from Páraic Hughes and Glen Malone.

Ciarán Donnelly struck the first point of the second half to reduce the gap to two points, 1-10 to 1-8, but things quickly fell apart from there for Offaly, with Joe Maher’s second yellow card opening the door for the visitors to run riot.

Seven of the next nine points went Wexford’s way as they continued to rack up the scores with relative ease, and another incredible pointblank save from Duffy to deny Brian Molloy prevented the lead from growing even further.

The lack of any urgency or zest on Offaly’s part was evident in the fact that Wexford scored their entire tally of 1-22 from open play, and while substitutes Bernard Allen and Nigel Bracken did their best to stem the tide after their introduction, by the time Aaron Leavy flicked in Offaly’s second goal deep into stoppage time, they were a well-beaten team.

Scorers – Wexford: M Rossiter 1-4, E Nolan 0-4, B Molloy 0-3, K O’Grady 0-2, G Malone 0-2, R Brooks 0-2, B Brosnan 0-2, P Hughes 0-1, N Hughes 0-1, J Tubritt 0-1. Offaly: A Sullivan 1-1 (1-0 pen), N Dunne 0-3 (0-1f), R McNamee 0-3 (0-2f), B Allen 0-3 (0-1f), A Leavy 1-0, C Farrell 0-2 (0-1m), C Donnelly 0-1, P Cunningham 0-1.

Wexford: D Brooks; B Cushe, E Porter, M Furlong; G Malone, D Furlong, B Molloy; L Coleman, N Hughes; P Hughes, E Nolan, A Tobin; R Brooks, M Rossiter, K O’Grady. Subs: B Brosnan for O’Grady (50), C Kinsella for Nolan (60), D Lyons for Tobin (62), J Tubritt for Brooks (65), L O’Connor for M Furlong (67).

Offaly: I Duffy; C Donnelly, D Hogan, D Dempsey; L Pearson, C McNamee, C Donohoe; P Cunningham, A Leavy; J Hayes, R McNamee, A Sullivan; C Farrell, J Maher, N Dunne. Subs: N Bracken for Donohoe (45), B Allen for Dunne (45), J Evans for Farrell (48), M Tynan for C McNamee (55), A Brazil for Donnelly (60).

Referee: David Murnane (Cork).

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