Tipp reeled in by fast finishing Wexford

GAA: Allianz National Football League Division 4 Round 6

Wexford 1-13

Tipperary 1-12

Report: Liam Hogan at Chadwicks Wexford Park

Photos: Enda O’Sullivan/SportsFocus

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Martin O’Connor (Wexford)

SCORERS - Wexford: Martin O’Connor 0-5; Ben Brosnan 0-4 (2 frees); Glen Malone 1-1; Dylan Furlong, Sean Ryan, Eoin Porter 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Cian Smith 0-4 (2x1frees, 1x2free); Micheal Freaney 1-1; Darragh Brennan (1 free), Emmett Moloney, Paudie Feehan (2pt) 0-2 each; Mikey O’Shea 0-1.

Tipperary fought to the bitter end, but the fresh legs of the Wexford bench made all the difference in Saturday’s National Football League clash.

It was a tall order for Tipp as Sean O’Connor, Luke Boland and Steven O’Brien were unavailable due to injury as the visitors needed a win to stay in the hunt for promotion, and they got off to the prefect start as the first score was a two pointer by Paudie Feehan after eighty seconds. After Emmett Moloney pointed, Wexford’s Martin O’Connor doubled his tally to leave the minimum between the teams after seven minutes.

From there, the game developed into phase by phase play, each team taking turns to attack, and Tipperary looked to have the better of the stakes as they went 0-6 to 0-3 in front after Mikey O’Shea scored in the 22nd minute.

At the other end, the Tipp defence were very cohesive with Manus McFadden excellent in his role marking Ben Brosnan with two timely turnovers setting him apart. Wexford had chances but their decision to shoot from far out left them with a trail of wides which increased to seven by half time.

Meanwhile, Brosnan’s free had the home-side trailing by two by the 29th minute before Tipp pushed on and increased their lead to five with four unanswered points through Darragh Brennan (2) and two Cian Smith frees with the second coming after referee Seamus Mulhare deemed that goalkeeper Colum Feeney had taken a kickout from the incorrect position.

Tipp would have retired happy to the break with their four point lead, 0-9 to 0-5. The visitors continued to play on the front foot in the third quarter. Emmett Moloney made it double scores before two points by Martin O’Connor and Dylan Furlong brought the margin back to three but between the 44th & 51st minutes, both sides played cat and mouse until Tipp must have felt home and hosed after a two pointer from a free by Cian Smith closely followed by a Michael Freaney goal to see them 1-12 to 0-7 in front.

However, the remaining twenty minutes belonged to Wexford. The fresh legs of Eoin Porter, Glen Malone, and Sean Ryan helped turn the screw on Tipp who would fail to score again while the home side battered the Tipp goal starting with Glen Malone goal in the 58th minute.

The avalanche came as Brosnan, Martin O’Connor and Sean Ryan brought the home side within one with seven minutes remaining. The crossbar saved Tipp with Tom Byrne crashing a well-placed cross by Malone off the bar.

It looked as if Tipp might survive. Their defence were excellent but tired legs left them in trouble as Eoin Porter levelled in the 72nd minute before Ben Brosnan grabbing the match winner sixty seconds later.

TEAMS - Wexford: Colum Feeney; Liam O’Connor, Gavin Sheehan, Martin O’Connor; Sean Barden, Eoghan Nolan, Graham Cullen; Tom Byrne, Liam Coleman; Mark Rossiter, Cathal Walsh, Dylan Furlong; Conor Carty, Ben Brosnan, Cian Hughes.

Subs: Sean Ryan for Hughes (29-32 blood); Glen Malone for Furlong (47); Sean Ryan for Cullen (51); Michael Kinsella for Carty (54); Eoin Porter for Hughes (65).

Tipperary: Shane Ryan (Clonmel Commercials); Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule, Capt), Emmett Moloney (Portlaoise); Luke Fahey (Rockwell Rovers), Paudie Feehan (Killenaule), Billy O’Connor (Kilsheelan-Kilcash); Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields), Mark Russell (Aherlow); Michael Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Ben Comerford (Grangemockler/Ballyneale); Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Darragh Brennan (Ballyporeen), Mikey O’Shea (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone).

Subs: Michael Barlow (Ardfinnan) for O’Shea (62); Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan) for O’Connor (65); Tadgh Condon (Clonmel Commercials) for Fahey (69); Rory O’Dowd (Clonmel Commercials) for Russell (70); Jack Nevin (JK Brackens) for Brennan (70+3).

Referee: Sean Mulhare (Laois).