Waterford too good for Wexford in All-Ireland quarters

Waterford saw off a spirited Wexford 1-23 to 1-19 in the All-Ireland quarter-finals at Páirc Uí Chaoimh to book their spot in the last four.

The first half was a close affair, with Waterford always in front as they looked the dominant side, but a goal from Kevin Moran after a defensive slip by Wexford meant An Déise carried a commanding five-point lead into the break at 1-12 to 0-10.

Wexford briefly threatened to overhaul their rivals after the interval, but each time they got within two scores Waterford pulled away. Tadhg de Burca was sent off late on for An Déise, leaving Wexford with a chance to pull a win out of the fire. They bagged a goal from Jack O’Connnor in added time of injury time, but couldn’t find enough in attack to prevent defeat.

Waterford will know whether they play Cork or Galway when the semi-final draw is made on Monday.

Michael Brick Walsh was in inspirational form for Waterford, with Pauric Mahoney doing plenty of damage from placed balls.

Jack Guiney and Lee Chin scores led the way for Wexford, as well as a superb substitute appearance from Rory O’Connor. But late points from Mahony, Maurice Shanahan and Brian O’Halloran saw Waterford home.

Mahoney got the scoring to a start with a free, but Chin was quick to cancel that out with a placed point of his own.

Two scores from Moran, sandwiched between an Eoin Moore effort for the Yellowbellies, saw Waterford begin to assume control of the tie. A 45 from Walsh and another score from a placed ball by Mahoney made it a three-score game.

Conor McDonald smashed over a point from long range, which Wexford needed to steady the ship as the tie appeared to be getting away from Davy Fitzgerald’s team early doors. A Noel Connors foul on Podge Doran gave Guiney the chance to slot over from the mark, which he did to make it just a one-score game at 0-05 to 0-04.

The revival was curtailed as An Déise hit two scores in quick succession, with Jake Dillon getting his scoring tally off the mark, before Dillon drew a foul and Mahoney chalked up the free.

Walsh was creating all sorts of problems in midfield and drew another foul – this time committed by Wexford star man Chin – which Mahoney knocked over to make it a double-scores lead.

A Guiney free pulled one back for Wexford, before Darragh Fives broke down the right flank to restore the advantage with a stunning shot from distance.

Wexford were clinging on with Chin marking a free from halfway, before Paul Morris struck one from 50m  out near the touchline. Wexford struck three in a row when Diarmuid O’Keeffe finished off the move, before Mahoney broke the scoring streak with his sixth free of the day.

Chin had a chance to make it one-score game again but missed with a free, a rare mistake from a man who has had a superb season. Waterford capitalised with a point from Conor Gleeson stretching the lead to three, before Chin was again off target with a free; there was to be no let up from An Déise as Austin Gleeson punished them with another point from open play.

Austin Gleeson scored one of the points of the day, with a swift movement after a short pass from the sideline, before Wexford sub Aidan Nolan got a vital point as they scrambled to keep in touch. A Guiney free shortly thereafter pulled them back within two scores after a wobby five-minute period.

But their good work was undone in injury time of the first half. Sloppy defending saw Wexford fail to clear their lines, instead handing possession to Shane Bennett to play in Moran, who raced onto the sliotair before slamming home a first-time shot to give An Déise a 1-12 to 0-10 lead at the break.

Wexford needed an immediate impact and full-back Liam Ryan charged upfield after the break to smash over a point from open play and immediately reduce the deficit. The momentum was continued by sub Rory O’Connor – fresh from completing his Leaving Cert in June – smashing over another, this time from the left flank, to make it a three-point game.

Rory O’Connor turned creator for the next score with a hand pass to Chin in space to finish home for three-in-a-row for the Yellowbellies. The sequence was broken when Mahony pointed a free, before Shanahan was brought on for An Deise as they looked to push for another goal to push home their advantage. A glorious-long range free from Austin Gleeson followed soon after before Jack O’Connor went directly up the other end for Wexford to make it 1-15 to 0-14 with 20 minutes to go.

Gleeson got into free space down the left side of the field, and cut back inside to finish another score for Waterford. It was tit for tat as Guiney pointed from a free to keep the margin at four.

A mazy run and score from open play from Moran – to take his tally to 1-03 – and then Shanahan’s first score kept Waterford’s momentum, with Guiney striking another free for Wexford.

Rory O’Connor was proving playmaker-in-chief for Wexford as he sprayed wide right to O’Keeffe to strike from distance. A Mahoney score followed as Wexford failed to break down the Deise attack; Shanahan added another moments later to make it a six-point game with ten minutes remaining.

A lull in the game followed with no scores for five minutes, while Waterford’s De Burca was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball incident. Jack O’Connor stode upfield moments later to strike for Wexford, but the pattern of the game was continued as Mahoney notched his tenth free of the tie. Wexford needed two goals to snatch victory, but they didn’t come, as sub O’Halloran converted two quick points to kill off any hopes of a comeback. There was to be a goal from Jack O’Connor as he managed to finish home from a goalmouth scramble for Wexford, but it was too little too late.

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