Wasteful Wexford make heavy weather of it

Wexford 2-21 Westmeath 0-16

Despite producing a sluggish performance, Wexford qualified for an All-Ireland quarter-final showdown with Clare by comfortably accounting for a gallant Westmeath outfit at sundrenched Cusack Park in Mullingar on Saturday. Westmeath manager Michael Ryan brought down the curtain on his four-year spell in charge after the final whistle.

Westmeath had led by 0-2 to no score early on courtesy of a brace of converted frees by Allan Devine and a gritty display kept them in touch in the opening quarter, trailing by bare minimum (0-5 to 0-4) with 15 minutes played. But when Niall O'Brien spurned a great goal chance for Westmeath in the 22nd minute, Davy Fitzgerald's troops began to take control.

Wexford found another gear and they led by 0-10 to 0-4 when David Dunne pounced for the goal he had been threatening in the 27th minute. A wonderful save by Paddy Carroll from Kevin Foley just a minute later prevented the Slaneysiders from doubling their goal haul, with Lee Chin converting the resultant '65. And although Westmeath continued to battle bravely, they trailed by 1-12 to 0-8 at the interval.

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Upon the resumption Chin increased his side's lead from a 37th-minute free only for Westmeath to respond with a point apiece from Ciaran Doyle and Devine, the latter coming from a difficult free. A fine score from Aonghus Clarke in the 44th minute left five points between the sides, 1-13 to 0-11. However, when substitute Liam Óg McGovern teed up Conor McDonald for a well-taken goal two minutes later any lingering Westmeath hopes of a shock evaporated.

Wexford were wasteful, firing 14 wides in total, and missed a number of scoreable frees after Chin was replaced. At the other end, Devine was reliable from placed balls but his effort to blast home a consolation goal for Westmeath in added-time was weak.

Substitutes Harry Kehoe and Shane Tomkins chipped in with three fine points between them from play but, on this evidence, Wexford will need to improve significantly to trouble Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final proper next weekend.

Wexford: M Fanning; D Reck, L Ryan (0-1), S Donohoe; P Foley, M O'Hanlon, D O'Keeffe (0-1); K Foley, S Murphy (0-1); L Chin (0-7, 0-6 frees, 1 '65), A Nolan (0-4), J O'Connor (0-1); P Morris (0-1), D Dunne (1-1), C McDonald (1-1). Subs: L Óg McGovern for Morris (38 mins), W Devereux for O'Keeffe (49), H Kehoe (0-2) for O'Connor (56), S Tomkins (0-1) for Chin (56), E Martin for Reck (69).

Yellow cards: K Foley, W Devereux, M O'Hanlon

Westmeath: P Carroll; C Shaw, T Doyle, J Gilligan; S Clavin, P Greville, D McNicholas (0-1); E Price (0-2), A Clarke (0-2); R Greville, C Doyle (0-1), C Boyle (0-1); N O'Brien, N Mitchell, A Devine (0-8, 0-7 frees). Subs: J Boyle (0-1) for McNicholas (39 mins), L Varley for C Boyle (50), D Clinton for C Doyle (54), A Craig for Shaw (68).

Yellow cards: D McNicholas, C Doyle, N Mitchell

Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).