Wexford brush Antrim aside with emphatic win

Wexford 5-19 Antrim 0-21

Wexford got their championship campaign underway with a comfortable victory over an Antrim team playing their fifth game in six weeks at O’Moore Park.

Liam Dunne’s men were hugely pumped up for their first game of the campaign and Rory Jacob had two goals by the conclusion of the fourth minute.

The first came as he raced onto a long ball by Keith Rossiter and gave Chris O'Connell no chance for the game's opening score.

The second came two minutes later as O’Connell made a brilliant save from Liam Óg McGovern but Jacob was on hand to sweep home from close range.

Conor McDonald smashed another rebound beyond O’Connell in the 12th minute but with Neil McManus and Conor McCann doing well from play and Paul Shiels converting four frees, Antrim remained in touch, trailing by 3-9 to 0-10 at the interval.

McDonald and McGovern added to Wexford's goal tally in the second half, while Antrim were reduced to 14 when Eoghan Campbell was dismissed for a wild pull on Rossiter.

McManus and McCann kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Saffrons, while substitute Darren Hamill contributed four points from play in 18 minutes of action but Wexford were always in control as they booked their semi-final berth against champions, Dublin.

Wexford scorers: C McDonald, R Jacob 2-2 each; P Morris 0-6 (5 frees); P Doran 0-3; L Óg McGovern 1-0; I Byrne 0-2; J Guiney, L Ryan, L Chin (f), G Sinnott 0-1 each

Antrim scorers: P Shiels 0-6 (all frees); N McManus 0-5; C McCann, D Hamill 0-4 each; Conor Johnson, PJ O'Connell 0-1 each

Wexford: M Fanning, L Ryan, M O'Hanlon, K Rossiter, L Chin, A Shore, C Kenny, D O'Keeffe, H Kehoe, P Morris, P Doran, J Guiney, R Jacob, C McDonald, L Óg McGovern. Subs: D Redmond for Kenny (ht), R Kehoe for Chin (59), PJ Nolan for O'Keeffe (59), I Byrne for Guiney (61), G Sinnott for Nolan blood (63-64), Sinnott for Doran (66)

Antrim: C O'Connell, A Graffin, C McKinley, Ciaran Johnson, O McFadden, N McAuley, E Campbell, P Shiels, M Bradley, C Carson, N McManus, C McCann, C Clarke, Conor Johnson, PJ O'Connell. Subs: B McFall for Conor Johnson (41), M Donnelly for Clarke (46), D Hamill for McFadden (52), S McAfee for Carson (58)

Referee: A Kelly (Galway)