Impressive Wexford call a halt to Clare’s reign

Wexford 2-25 Clare 2-22

A record crowd for the redeveloped ground turned up in Wexford Park on Saturday night and played its part in driving the county towards a famous and hungrily acclaimed win in this GAA All-Ireland qualifier round one replay.

For all that the consensus was for Clare to have to push hard for the win, it also took the position that the All-Ireland champions would succeed.

Instead the match lurched from one side to the other. Clare picked up two uncontested red cards – Brendan Bugler for an insane 33rd minute dig of the hurl and Jack Browne for two yellows – within 10 minutes of each other, both for fouls on Liam Óg McGovern.

The second one had to be brought to referee Johnny Ryan’s attention by linesman Barry Kelly.

Clare rose to the occasion and scavenged furiously on scraps of possession. Tony Kelly and Conor McGrath sniped away while John Conlon was immense for his 1-5. Wexford just couldn’t shake them and when Colin Ryan pointed a late 65, they were able to bring on two extra players and celebrated as if they had survived the worst.

Wexford confronted the anxieties of striving for a serious scalp – the first time they have ended the All-Ireland holders’ interest in a championship for 30 years – and the pressures of playing 13 men, knowing how compromised their reputation and morale would be if they fell to such weakened opposition.

The anxieties were in plain sight. Unable to get off the mark as spectacularly as the 10-point lead in the drawn match, Wexford did however replicate the wildly inaccurate shooting, ending the first half with 11 wides. Clare methodically built a lead by half-time, 1-5 to 0-6, but again were down to 14 men after Bugler’s dismissal.

Conor McDonald could have had a goal before the break but was dubiously called for a square ball. Also before the break Jack Guiney, like McDonald and Liam Ryan part of the Under-21 Leinster winning team last Wednesday, came on and his free-taking acumen relieved Paul Morris, whose usually impeccable striking had gone on the blink.

Morris returned in extra time to post an invaluable three points from play whereas Guiney rounded off the match with three successive points to lead Wexford’s surge through deadlock to a three-point win.

Ultimately, Saturday’s match was all about Wexford in a contest that at times pushed their supporters to the edge of despair. But when it counted the side delivered a fine result for the county and provided testimony to the improvements wrought by Liam Dunne and his management team.

Asked was the fact that they beat a Clare team restored to 15 in extra time a matter for added satisfaction, selector Ger Cushe

replied: “I think just the fact that we beat them. We had in our minds that we needed a big scalp to take another step forward . . . It happened to be the All-Ireland champions tonight. In fairness they put up a great battle, went down to 13 men and didn’t throw in the towel either.

“They showed great character and that’s what got them the All-Ireland last year. We haven’t been used to playing to this intensity but we’re starting to get there . . . our lads probably missed the easy scores because they’re not used to playing under that pressure. But they’re making that step up . . . so hopefully we can push on.”

In the early stages Clare were tighter and more business-like than in Ennis a week previously.

Clare manager David Fitzgerald tried to be magnanimous but his frustration with two red cards, what he felt was lenient treatment for Wexford and the loss of this year’s championship challenge showed.

“It’s very important to win graciously,” he said. “If I could tell you how I really feel in the pit of my stomach, it wouldn’t be good to print. We will regroup and we will come back again.”

Fitzgerald made a powerful speech in the Wexford dressing room and urged them to go on in the championship.

WEXFORD: 1. Mark Fanning; 2. Liam Ryan, 3. Matthew O'Hanlon (capt.), 4. Keith Rossiter; 5. Andrew Shore, 6. Eoin Moore, 7. Ciarán Kenny; 8. David Redmond (0-1), 9. Lee Chin (0-2); 10. Paul Morris (0-7, four frees), 11. Podge Doran, 12. Diarmuid O'Keeffe (0-1); 22. Garett Sinnott, 14. Conor McDonald (1-1), 15. Liam Óg McGovern (0-2). Subs: 19. Jack Guiney (0-10, eight frees) for Doran (28 mins), 13. Rory Jacob (0-1) for Sinnott (half-time), 20. Ian Byrne for Morris (42 mins), 21. PJ Nolan for Redmond (46 mins), 23. Harry Kehoe (1-0) for O'Keeffe (60 mins), 18. Richie Kehoe for Kenny (70 mins), 10. Paul Morris for Byrne (70 mins), 26. Shane Tomkins for Nolan (76 mins), 11. Podge Doran for Jacob (76 mins), 25. Willie Devereux for Moore (80 mins).Yellow cards: Ryan (82 mins).

CLARE: 1. Patrick Kelly (0-1, free); 4. Jack Browne, 3. David McInerney, 2. Cian Dillon; 5. Brendan Bugler, 6. Conor Ryan, 7. Patrick O'Connor; 9. Colm Galvin (0-1), 11. Tony Kelly (0-3); 14. Peter Duggan, 13. Conor McGrath (0-4), 12. Colin Ryan (0-5, four frees, one 65); 17. Seadna Morey, 21. Darach Honan (1-1), 10. John Conlon (1-5). Subs: 8. Patrick Donnellan for Duggan (55 mins), 25. Aaron Cunningham for Honan (66 mins), 26. Jamie Shanahan (0-2) and 19. Paul Flanagan introduced for extra time, 15. Cathal McInerney for Conlon (83 mins). Yellow cards: T Kelly (27 mins), Browne (38 and 48 mins). Red cards: Bugler (33 mins), Browne (38 mins)
Referee: Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)