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Conor McDonald celebrates after the game. Ken Sutton/INPHO

Wexford escape relegation with dramatic comeback win over Kilkenny

Wexford stepped back from the abyss with a 4-23 to 5-18 win.

Wexford 4-23

Kilkenny 5-18

Ronan Fagan reports from Chadwicks Wexford Park

WEXFORD MADE A late dash to victory against Kilkenny at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday to ensure their survival in the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

With Westmeath losing to Antrim, and Wexford having to avoid defeat, the spectre of relegation loomed large for the purple and gold in the 62nd minute after Eoin Cody (two) and Tom Phelan goals sprung Kilkenny into a 5-17 to 4-18 lead.

But a Lee Chin double sparked a closing Wexford flurry to one of the most prized victories in the county’s history, as they stay up while Westmeath drop down.

Kilkenny, meanwhile, will be putting their provincial title on the line in the final against Galway after Dublin failed to get past the Tribesmen.

While traffic congestion led to a delay to the throw-in at Wexford, Kilkenny motored out of the traps as they left Wexford appearing dishevelled when generating a 2-7 to 0-5 lead after 17 minutes.

Eoin Cody netted Kilkenny ahead by 1-0 to 0-1 in the second minute when profiting from a fine burst by John Donnelly.

And Wexford’s worst fears really took hold on six minutes when Martin Keoghan collected from Walter Walsh to crash to the home net (2-1 to 0-2).

But, despite wides hurting them, Wexford were roused when Jack O’Connor won a penalty after gathering a long puck-out, and Lee Chin maximised the 24th minute opportunity to smash the gap to 2-8 to 1-6.

TJ Reid shot back with a pointed free, but Wexford continued to be re-energised as Kevin Foley cut in from the right to angle home from a Rory O’Connor assist in the 26th minute (2-9 to 2-6).

Wexford’s rash shooting had them six ahead on the wides. But Conor McDonald, Lee Chin (free) and Rory O’Connor mustered a string of scores to tie it on 2-9 apiece after 32 minutes.

McDonald threatened for a goal amid an exchange of points, while Wexford ‘keeper James Lawlor was twice called into evasive action before springing a counter-attack from which Diarmuid O’Keeffe arrowed Wexford in front at the break (2-11 to 2-10).

Kilkenny claimed two of the first three points on the resumption to twice draw level, before Wexford quickly restated their intent when sinking 2-1 without reply to forge 4-13 to 2-12 ahead after 44 minutes.

Liam Óg McGovern etched his name on both goals, firstly springing into unguarded territory to collect a Conor McDonald delivery and bag a 3-12 to 2-12 lead on 40 minutes.

The Kilkenny goal escaped further damage – Lee Chin converting a ’65 – before McGovern returned again on 44 minutes to force home after an initial save.

lee-chin-in-action Lee Chin in action. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO

Kilkenny were irked and shot back, with Eoin Cody bagging a second goal on 50 minutes to have it down to 4-13 to 3-13, before Tom Phelan also netted on 57 minutes to have them within 4-17 to 4-16.

The sides exchanged points before relegation-threatened Wexford were put on high alert when Eoin Cody sealed his hat-trick for a 5-17 to 4-18 transformation on 62 minutes.

But Wexford produced a decisive burst of points through Chin (two), Cathal Dunbar (line-ball) and Oisín Foley to claw to safety after the most harrowing of weeks for all concerned.

Scorers for Wexford: Lee Chin 1-10 (0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65), Liam Óg McGovern 2-1, Kevin Foley 1-1, Rory O’Connor 0-4, Oisín Foley, Cathal Dunbar (one line-ball) 0-2 each, Conor McDonald, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Liam Ryan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: Eoin Cody 3-1, Tom Phelan 1-4, TJ Reid 0-7 (4 frees, 1 ‘65), Martin Keoghan 1-0, Adrian Mullen, Walter Walsh, Billy Ryan, Pádraig Walsh, Alan Murphy, Conor Delaney 0-1 each.

Wexford 

1 James Lawlor (Ferns St Aidan’s)

 5 Simon Donohoe (Shelmaliers), 6 Matthew O’Hanlon (St James’), 4 Conor Devitt (Tara Rocks)

26 Joe O’Connor (St Martin’s), 3 Liam Ryan (Rapparees), 7 Ian Carty (Taghmon Camross)

 8 Diarmuid O’Keeffe (St Anne’s), 9 Kevin Foley (Rapparees)

 10 Jack O’Connor (St Martin’s), 11 Liam Óg McGovern (St Anne’s), 12 Oisín Foley (Crossabeg Ballymurn)

 13 Rory O’Connor (St Martin’s), 14 Conor McDonald (Naomh Eanna), 15 Lee Chin (Faythe Harriers)

 Subs:

  • 21 Conor Foley (Horeswood) for Joe O’Connor (19)
  • 20 Mikie Dwyer (Fethard) for McDonald, temp. (35-HT)
  • 19 Cathal Dunbar (Naomh Eanna) for Jack O’Connor (54)
  • 22 Conor Hearne (Shelmaliers) for K. Foley (65)
  • Dwyer for McGovern (68)

Kilkenny

1 Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)

 2 Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels), 3 Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels), 4 Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)

 5 David Blanchfield (Bennettsbrige), 19 Pádraig Walsh (Tullaroan), 7 Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks)

 11 John Donnelly (Thomastown), 23 Walter Walsh (Tullogher Rosbercon), 8 Adrian Mullen (Ballyhale Shamrocks)

13 Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan), 10 Tom Phelan (Conahy Shamrocks), 26 Billy Drennan (Galmoy)

14 TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks), 15 Eoin Cody (Ballyale Shamrocks)

Subs: 

  • 17 Conor Delaney for Butler (12)
  • 12 Billy Ryan for Keoghan (14)
  • 20 Conor Fogarty for Mullen (25)
  • 21 Alan Murphy for Drennan (49)
  • 18 Cillian Buckley for W. Walsh (66)

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).

Written by Ronan Fagan and posted on the42.ie

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    Mute John Murphy
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    Mar 19th 2015, 10:56 AM

    Snake was free and still awesome !

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    Mute Eric
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:10 AM

    So is Ball in the Cup

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    Mute James St John Smith
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:39 AM

    So is Two Girls One Cup

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    Mute davedunne
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    Mar 19th 2015, 12:22 PM

    solid snake.. what was that noise?

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    Mute Paul Conway
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    Mar 19th 2015, 10:07 PM

    Rovio actually made Snake.

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    Mute Joanna
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:08 AM

    What goes up must come down I guess. I don’t find this very surprising but their success lasted longer than I expected.

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    Mute ThE DucKz NuTz
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    Mar 19th 2015, 10:52 AM

    Smartphones, smart TVs, smart cars, every thing is smart the real question is when is the world going to make smart people that dont play these silly games??????????????

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    Mute Mac Chicken
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:00 AM

    Your only jealous duck because you cant play games!!

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    Mute Jimbo Murphy
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:03 AM

    Silly games are a welcome distraction to the tediousness of everyday life for most people. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

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    Mute ThE DucKz NuTz
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:04 AM

    Chicken your becoming a bit of a pain in my ass i would advice you to move on to the next story…… iv this one covered……..

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    Mute Mac Chicken
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:13 AM

    Dont get your feathers in a flap duck….me and my boyas will be up dublin way and we can sort this out duck to chick!!

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    Mute ThE DucKz NuTz
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:17 AM

    Ya you and your boys are coming to dublin to sort me out….. well thats the way a limerick chicken would sort a dub out is with a big group of boys…… go home chicken…

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    Mute ThE DucKz NuTz
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:20 AM

    We are turning out to be two angry birds…. fancy a pint instead???

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    Mute Mac Chicken
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:23 AM

    Sound boy!!

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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:14 AM

    They made a €10m operating profit Ciaran. That’s from dire financial straits considering they also let 14% of their workforce go.

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    Mute ed w
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:22 AM

    They stuck loads of adverts into the games as people wouldn’t pay for them. Then people stopped playing them. Not as good as they thought they were I think.

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    Mute Ian McNally
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:33 AM

    Karma considering the concept was a rip off of a rip off and their constantly boasting of how amazing they were while never being able to reproduce the success of their only product since it was an absolute fluke more down to the game being released right when apps became a thing people wanted and there were far less of them than it actually being any good

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    Mute Everett Gold
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    Mar 19th 2015, 10:53 AM

    Lame duck me thinks

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    Mute ThE DucKz NuTz
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    Mar 19th 2015, 10:57 AM

    If a duck has a sore leg yes they may look lame………

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    Mute James St John Smith
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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:01 AM

    I’d say the women working for that company are angry.

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    Mar 19th 2015, 2:07 PM

    State of your name.

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    Mar 19th 2015, 11:31 AM

    Never really got into any mobile games.
    Give me advance wars or fire emblem any day

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    Mar 19th 2015, 12:46 PM

    They were a bit of a one trick pony

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    Mar 19th 2015, 10:47 AM

    Bird trype

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 19th 2015, 12:07 PM

    Is it that fashions change or is there something changing or happening to the market?

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    Mute Ruaidhrí O'Baoill
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    Mar 19th 2015, 1:46 PM

    Buy that man a Bass!

    +100 on Advance Wars. Although its not free.

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