Double frustration for Wexford

GAELIC GAMES: Just like two years ago, Wexford's Michael Jacob popped up in injury-time to score an opportunist goal against Kilkenny. Unfortunately for his team - and any watching neutrals, who had been hoping for a close contest - this time around the only affect of the score was to endanger the bookies' eight-point handicap on Kilkenny.

The usual exclusive scattering of enthusiastic supporters greeted the retention of the provincial championship, but Kilkenny were presumably already looking ahead to the All-Ireland quarter-finals and a likely date with either Galway or Limerick.

It was a disappointing match, but the winners did what they needed to do to run out convincing winners 1-23 to 2-12. Wexford had a couple of chances to make a match of it, but the champions always seemed capable of responding when their position was threatened.

Ten first-half wides had effectively pulled the rug from underneath the Wexford challenge, and a super goal from Henry Shefflin had contributed to a comfortable 1-9 to 0-4 half-time lead.

Afterwards, winning manager Brian Cody wasn't complaining about the lack of entertainment value - or even conceding the point to reporters.

"I just get a serious impression from yourselves that you didn't think much of the match. But ye are getting paid to look at it. That's not too bad." Not enough, Brian. Not enough.

All told it was a miserable day for the much put-upon Wexford supporters, who had earlier watched their footballers depart at the provincial semi-final stage for the third year running.

It was a much closer call than the hurling, but that made it all the more frustrating, as Wexford dominated possession for long periods only to fall victim to the sharpness of Offaly's two-man full-forward line, Thomas Deehan and the exceptionally good Niall McNamee.

Both scored first-half goals to keep their team in front. By the end Wexford were again closing in on what would have been a remarkable comeback, but they couldn't quite close the gap despite drawing level again in the second half.

If they had, there would have been the knotty problem of having to play the Leinster final without their star forward, Matty Forde, who appeared to stamp on Offaly's Shane Sullivan in the second half.

Offaly held on for a 2-15 to 2-14 win and will now face Dublin in the Leinster final in two weeks.

Earlier, there had been no fairytale ending for Carlow's hurlers in the ESB minor final. In the county's first provincial final at any of the elite levels, they were introduced to the harsh realities of life at the top as an excellent Kilkenny side ran out winners 4-22 to 1-5.

Finally, there was a minute's silence before yesterday's senior final for the young Cork hurler Liam O'Regan, whose family is from Kilkenny, who died suddenly last week playing for his club Ballinora, and also for Simon Lambert, the father of Wexford football panellist Nickey. ...