Chin steadies ship as Wexford eventually see off Carlow
Wexford out-scored neighbours Carlow 1-10 to 0-02 in the closing 15 minutes to nail the third-round Allianz Hurling League Division 1B spoils at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday.
After struggling past Antrim and Down, Keith Rossiter's men now head affairs as they brace themselves for demanding back-to-back away trips to Dublin and Clare.
This was a close-run affair for much of the way before Wexford, with Lee Chin having entered the fray for his seasonal bow, eventually sunk the sword in.
And goalie Mark Fanning netted his second injury-time goal of the campaign, this time from a penalty after his match-winning free against Antrim - after Carlow’s Kevin McDonald was black-carded for hauling down the rampaging Kevin Foley to ensure maximum points after three outings for Wexford.
Carlow opened strongly, forging ahead by 0-04 to 0-02 inside six minutes, Chris Nolan crowning the early surge on his return from suspension, as centre-back McDonald, Jon Nolan and sharpshooter Marty Kavanagh (free) laid the foundations.
Simon Roche was keeping Wexford in touch from a couple of frees, and he added a third, before collecting a line-ball from Foley to tie matters for a second time after 12 minutes (0-04 apiece).
Lee Chin signs autographs after the game
The home supporters were raucously celebrating seconds later as Wexford turned over the resulting puck-out and Conor Hearne’s neat hand-pass sent Shelmaliers’ club-mate Ross Banville surging through to rifle to the net for the hosts’ first taste of the lead.
But Carlow held their nerve, and after an exchange of points, midfielder Fiachra Fitzpatrick gained possession from a ruck to the right of goal to race in and restore parity with an angled finish to the net leaving it 1-05 to 1-05.
The to-and-fro nature of exchanges was sustained as the sides shared the next ten points. Donagh Murphy getting amongst the Carlow scoring as Jack Redmond and Darren Codd did for Wexford.
Roche’s seventh score - and fifth free - had Wexford back on the front foot before the Carlow goal survived a real scare when Codd intercepted a defensive pass only to see his powerful 32nd-minute drive parried for a point to leave Wexford two ahead.
Redmond and Roche kept delivering, with their second and eighth points respectively, as Wexford broke leading 1-14 to 1-11.
However, the gap remained wafer-thin, three Marty Kavanagh frees and a Jack Treacy score seeing Carlow close to within one, 1-16 to 1-15, after 46 minutes, Roche (free) and Tomás Kinsella shading it for Wexford.
Evan Kealy in possession for Carlow
Then came a thunderous ovation as Chin entered the fray, but Carlow were undeterred as free-shooter Kavanagh turned the tables in their favour after 49 minutes with a brace of frees to leave them 1-17 to 1-16 ahead.
But Chin gathered from Foley to level matters for an eleventh time after 55 minutes, and Wexford were further boosted with unanswered scores from Kinsella, Redmond, Roche – the latter a free from his own half - and Chin to lead 1-23 to 1-19.
And a double exchange of points was followed by Wexford effectively sealing the deal when 'keeper Fanning stuck a penalty 19 seconds into added time after Foley was hauled down, with ace marksman Roche, Kinsella and Hearne rounding out victory.
Wexford: Mark Fanning (1-00, 1-00 pen); Darragh Carley, Conor Foley, Damien Reck; Philip Dempsey, Richie Lawlor, Eamon Wickham; Conor Hearne (0-01), David Codd; Darren Codd (0-02), Kevin Foley, Ross Banville (1-00); Simon Roche (0-14, 0-10fs), Jack Redmond (0-03), Tomás Kinsella (0-06).
Subs: Lee Chin (0-02) for David Codd (48), James Byrne for Banville (54), Simon Donohoe for Dempsey (63), Cian Byrne for Redmond (65), Diarmuid O’Leary for Wickham (71).
Carlow: Brian Tracey; Niall Bolger, Dion Wall, Paul Doyle; Fiach Ó Toole, Kevin McDonald (0-01), Evan Kealy; Fiachra Fitzpatrick (1-00), Jon Nolan (0-01); Jack Treacy (0-01), Donagh Murphy (0-01), Conor Kehoe; Chris Nolan (0-03), John Michael Nolan, Marty Kavanagh (0-14, 0-13fs).
Subs: Paddy Boland for John Michael Nolan (HT), Ted Joyce for Kehoe (43), Kevin Kavanagh for Murphy (60), Páidí O’Shea for Kealy (61), John Doyle for Treacy (70+1).
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
