Wexford footballers rocked by ref justice against Leitrim

Leitrim 3-7 Wexford 2-9

One of the most controversial decisions I can recall from a 33-year career reporting on Wexford football condemned Sunday’s visitors to Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon to a cruel last-gasp defeat.

The John Hegarty-managed side held a 2-9 to 2-7 lead in additional time, after a valiant second-half comeback, when Leitrim goalscorer Ryan O’Rourke floated in a hit-and-hope ball from the right flank.

Eoin Porter emerged with possession, but referee Mark Dorrian from Donegal – taking charge of his first game at this level – deemed that Gavin Sheehan had fouled Barry McNulty and awarded a penalty.

Bewilderment at the apparently harsh call turned to anger when video footage of the incident was perused, after Ryan O’Rourke had completed his hat-trick to edge Leitrim into a one-point lead that they held until the finish.

Wexford did have time to seek an equaliser, but possession was coughed up cheaply twice as their hopes of gaining promotion from Division 4 of the Allianz League were dealt a significant blow.

While the biggest decision of the lot went against the visitors, they actually received more than double the amount of frees that the victors were awarded over the 70-plus minutes.

The count was 12-3 in Wexford’s favour at half-time, and it ended 21-9 plus that contentious penalty that preserved Leitrim’s one hundred per cent record after earlier wins over London and Waterford.

And in a game of such tight margins at the finish, two of the losers’ ten wides that arrived from a pair of scorable Ben Brosnan frees – along with another attempt that dropped short – were particularly costly.

The game was just over 80 seconds old, and Leitrim hat-trick hero Ryan O’Rourke had already rattled the net for the first time, when the veteran missed the target from a chance that he would normally convert.

And on an afternoon when the entire losing tally arrived from open play, a second opportunity was squandered near the end of the third quarter when Wexford were mounting their comeback and just one point in arrears.

Leitrim, who only recorded five wides, had the perfect tonic of that early goal and added another to lead by 2-2 to 0-5 at half-time, but they looked vulnerable when captain Liam Coleman and Páraic Hughes spearheaded a determined effort from the visitors after the break.

Wexford took the game to the leaders and it resulted in goals from close range by Ben Brosnan and Niall Hughes, with the latter’s opportunism in the 60th minute giving them the lead for the first time (2-8 to 2-6).

A chance for another score was then lost when Darragh Lyons was penalised for charging, and Leitrim’s Darragh Rooney reduced the gap to the minimum from their sole pointed free in the 69th minute.

There was a let-off for Wexford from the restart, with Mark Plunkett hooking a shot to the right and wide after a loose kick-out by Rory Tubritt, who had made a couple of fine saves earlier.

With three additional minutes announced, a Mark Rossiter handpass teed up Páraic Hughes for a point that left Wexford with a 2-9 to 2-7 advantage.

Their last wide followed from Niall Hughes, before the contentious moment that left such a bitter taste among the visiting ranks.

Ryan O’Rourke still had to do the business from the penalty spot and he nailed his kick in style, shooting low into the left corner even though Tubritt guessed correctly with his dive.

The outcome means that Wexford’s promotion hopes are already hanging by a thread, and they will be gone completely without a home win against Waterford on Saturday (5 p.m.).

They were chasing Sunday’s game from the off, with the excellent O’Rourke stealing a march on Dylan Furlong from an accurate pass inside and shooting low to the net after a mere 33 seconds.

Wexford kicked three wides from Brosnan (free) and Seán Nolan (two) before the latter made full amends, opening their account off his left peg after good work by Páraic Hughes and Darragh Lyons in the eleventh minute.

And the Horeswood attacker turned on to his right to score again six minutes later after another assist from Lyons – who lined out at centre-forward for both throw-ins but spent a lot of time in a deeper role.

The equaliser came from the left flank by Richie Waters after a one-two with Ben Brosnan, but Wexford were punished again when a turnover on Lyons near the Leitrim posts resulted in a swift counter-attack in the 21st minute.

Liam O’Connor had switched on to Ryan O’Rourke by that stage, but he was powerless to prevent the winners’ best attacker from collecting a Barry McNulty pass and slotting home off his left to establish a 2-0 to 0-3 lead.

Leitrim’s first point – from Jack Foley in the 25th minute – came in between the fourth and fifth Wexford wides from Páraic Hughes and Eoghan Nolan after two wild kicks.

The back line was opened up once more when Donal Wrynn and Barry McNulty combined to put Foley through, but Rory Tubritt made a good save at the expense of a ’45 that his opposite number, Nevin O’Donnell, couldn’t get on target.

Darragh Lyons reduced arrears to 2-1 to 0-4 in the 30th minute after a move featuring Eoghan Nolan, Eoin Porter and Páraic Hughes, only for Ryan O’Rourke to hit back after one of O’Donnell’s regular sorties out of goal created a Leitrim overlap.

And although Ben Brosnan landed a free from 40 metres into the netminder’s grateful arms, he did have the last say just before the break with a point after Wexford’s two best players – Liam Coleman and Páraic Hughes – combined (2-2 to 0-5).

Eoghan Nolan didn’t re-appear for the second-half, having picked up an injury after Leitrim midfielder Jack Gilheany bounced off Liam Coleman and the Shelmaliers player – to the delight of home fans – as he drove forward with the ball in the 31st minute.

Tom Byrne replaced him and brought a lot of energy to the half-forward line, while Mark Rossiter had already joined the fray towards the end of the opening period in place of Richie Waters.

On a day when Wexford once again went into battle without a recognised substitute goalkeeper, young newcomer Rory Tubritt had to show his worth just 15 seconds after the restart.

Barry McNulty slipped the final pass inside after Leitrim won the break from the throw-in, and Darragh Rooney’s touch from close range was stopped at the expense of a ’45 that Nevin O’Donnell pointed (2-3 to 0-5).

Liam Coleman kicked the sixth wide before Glen Malone split the posts after combining twice with Páraic Hughes to the right of the posts.

McNulty made it 2-4 to 0-6 before the first big moment in Wexford’s comeback arrived in the 44th minute.

Coleman profited from a give-and-go with Páraic Hughes before wisely opting to find a proven finisher in Brosnan who kicked low to the Leitrim net from the edge of the square.

Wing-back Jamie McGreal pointed and Coleman hit back, with a wide following from Mark Rossiter before a long kick pass by Tom Byrne almost picked out Seán Nolan behind the defensive cover.

A little nudge by Ryan O’Rourke on Gavin Sheehan – who had moved back from the wing, where he didn’t get on a lot of ball, to mark him – left Leitrim clean through again in the 50th minute.

Luckily his cousin, Riordan, had veered into the square before receiving the pass and putting it in the net, with Wexford awarded a free out after referee Dorrian had a chat with his umpires.

Another highly debatable incident quickly followed, as Leitrim captain Mark Diffley – already on a yellow card – caught Páraic Hughes with a high challenge.

He seemed to be in serious trouble when the Donegal official approached him, only to escape with a verbal warning.

Just to add a little insult to injury, Ben Brosnan sent the free to the left and wide, although it didn’t upset the momentum as Kevin O’Grady levelled in the 53rd minute following sound approach work from Eoin Porter and Darragh Lyons to make it 1-8 to 2-5.

Riordan O’Rourke edged Leitrim back in front before Brosnan shot a wide from play, but Wexford’s persistence was amply rewarded when they finally hit the front in the 60th minute.

An element of good fortune may have surrounded their second goal as Tom Byrne looked to be aiming for a point but the kick fell short, and Niall Hughes was lurking with intent to gather and finish from close range for a 2-8 to 2-6 advantage.

Shane Pettit and Conor Kinsella joined the action, with Conor Carty also introduced in additional time as Wexford looked to preserve their lead after Darragh Rooney (free) and Páraic Hughes swapped points.

Hopefully what happened next won’t be the defining moment in their campaign, although right now it’s difficult to escape the feeling that it might have done irreparable harm to their promotion hopes.

In reality, it’s likely going to take four straight wins – starting with Waterford on Saturday and followed by Carlow (away), Tipperary (away) and Longford (home) – in order for matters to remain in their own hands.

And while by no means an impossible task, it still looks like a tall order to be fair based on the first three rounds.

Wexford: Rory Tubritt (Naomh Éanna); Liam O’Connor (St. Mary’s, Rosslare), Dylan Furlong (Sarsfields), Eoin Porter (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown); Glen Malone (Shelmaliers, 0-1), Páraic Hughes (Kilanerin, 0-1), Gavin Sheehan (Gusserane); Liam Coleman (Castletown, capt., 0-1), Niall Hughes (Kilanerin, 1-0); Kevin O’Grady (St. James’, 0-1), Darragh Lyons (St. James’, 0-1), Richie Waters (Fethard, 0-1); Seán Nolan (Horeswood, 0-2), Eoghan Nolan (Shelmaliers), Ben Brosnan (Carnew Emmets, Wicklow, 1-1). Subs. – Mark Rossiter (Gusserane) for Waters (33), Tom Byrne (Kilmore) for E. Nolan, inj. (HT), Shane Pettit (St. Fintan’s) for S. Nolan (60), Conor Kinsella (Kilanerin) for Brosnan (60), Conor Carty (Castletown) for O’Grady (70+1), also Ryan Furlong (Sarsfields), Cathal Walsh (Monageer-Boolavogue), Liam Doyle (Ballyhogue), Dean O’Toole (Kilanerin), Graeme Cullen (Gusserane), Jack Higgins (Castletown).

Leitrim: Nevin O’Donnell (0-1 ’45); Cathal McHugh, Donal Casey, Aidan Flynn; Shane Quinn, Mark Diffley (capt.), Jamie McGreal (0-1); Jack Gilheany, Barry McNulty (0-1); Riordan O’Rourke (0-1), Jack Foley (0-1), Donal Wrynn; Darragh Rooney (0-1 free), Ryan O’Rourke (3-1, 1-0 pen.), Evan Sweeney. Subs. – Tom Prior for Quinn (51), James Rooney for McGreal (56), Mark Plunkett for Wrynn (60), Paul Keaney for Sweeney (60), Adam Reynolds for McHugh (68).

Referee: Mark Dorrian (Donegal).

ALLIANZ LEAGUE DIVISION 4

P W D L F A PTS

Laois 3 3 0 0 57 34 6

Leitrim 3 3 0 0 50 29 6

Carlow 3 2 0 1 48 46 4

Tipperary 3 1 1 1 44 44 3

Longford 3 1 0 2 43 44 2

Wexford 3 1 0 2 43 50 2

London 3 0 1 2 29 38 1

Waterford 3 0 0 3 30 59 0

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