Flynn has last word for Wexford

O'BYRNE SHIELD/Wexford 1-10 Longford 0-12:SUBSTITUTE ADRIAN Flynn's punched point proved the decisive score as Wexford snatched a dramatic late victory over Longford in this senior football game in Enniscorthy yesterday.

Longford looked for a spell as if they would upset the home side. In the end it was the superior strike power of Ben Brosnan and Adrian Morrissey which brought the home side through.

Very little separated the teams through the first quarter at the end of which Longford led by 0-3 to 0-2 through points from Jamie Martin and a Brian Kavanagh free, after Adrian Morrissey and Diarmuid Kinsella had shot early points for the home team.

At the end of the first half Redmond Barry was fouled as he moved in on goal leaving Brosnan to power the resulting penalty into the net with Wexford going in with a 1-4 to 0-6 interval lead.

After a Brosnan point from play increased the Wexford’s lead, Longford responded with four unanswered points through Kavanagh with three, one free, and a Martin free, to lead 0-10 to 1-5 after 51 minutes.

Wexford responded with points through Brosnan from a 45 and a free, with Morrissey also pointing in between to lead 1-8 to 0-10, with three minutes remaining.

Points from Kevin Mulligan and Martin restored the Longford lead, while an Adrian Morrissey point response left the minimum separating the sides two minutes into additional time.

Then came Flynn’s dramatic winning punched point after 42 minutes to give the home side a rather lucky victory.

WEXFORD: J Russell; J Wadding, D Walsh, N Murphy; K Kennedy, D Murphy, D Kehoe; B Doyle, D Waters; R Barry, B Malone, A Morrissey (0-3); B Brosnan (1-5, 1-0 penalty, 0-3 frees), D Kinsella (0-1), P Byrne. Subs: C Byrne for Malone; A Flynn (0-1) for Kinsella; C Morris for Kehoe; E Bradley for Doyle; D Carter for Morris.

LONGFORD: D Sheridan; S Mulligan, N Farrell, S Hannon; D Brady, J Nally, S Powell; M Brady, B Kavanagh (0-5); B McElvaney, K Mulligan (0-1), D Keenan; J Martin (0-6, five frees), D Morgan, D Reilly. Subs: R McGoldrick for Powell; E Williams for Brady.

Referee: G McCormack (Dublin).

In next weekend’s O’Byrne Shield semi-finals, DIT will play Carlow, while Wexford take on Westmeath.