National Hurling League/ Wexford 2-12 Antrim 1-9: Willie Doran's 46th-minute goal and seven points by Paul Carley helped Wexford make the most of second-half wind advantage and defeat Antrim in a lively, if at times untidy, opening-round game at Loughgiel.
The heavy pitch yesterday ruled out any semblance of clinical ground hurling, yet Antrim's speed and better striking in the first half should have got them more reward.
In the end, the point-scoring of Carley, Redmond Barry and Des Mythen secured the win for a somewhat wasteful Wexford.
The main talking point after the game was the new yellow card rule, one that floored the Ulster side when they lost their best player, commanding centre back Karl McKeegan, in the 21st minute.
The Cushendall clubman was dominant in the early action but became involved in a disagreement with Wexford's Nigel Higgins. Referee Eamonn Morris rigidly stuck to the new law and gave both players marching orders.
McKeegan's early bath seemed to take some of the momentum away from Antrim and the home side did not register sufficient scores while playing with the breeze.
Antrim were 1-7 to 1-6 ahead at half-time. Their goal came on seven minutes when Michael Heron's speculative lob slipped into the net.
Substitute MJ Furling wiped out the goal on 27 minutes, following a high teasing shot into the area by Carley.
Because of the heavy underfoot conditions there were many melees, and in the second half Antrim lost the services of Martin Scullion and Michael Herron, while Wexford's Eoin Quigley and David O'Brien were also yellow carded.
WEXFORD: D Fitzhenry; C Kehoe, D O'Connor, K Rossiter; K Kavanagh, D Ruth, D Lyng; E Quigley, M Jacob; P Carley (0-7), W Doran (1-1), N Higgins; E Barry (0-1), M Jordan (0-1), D Mythen (0-2). Subs: MJ Furlong (1-0) for Higgins (21 mins), B Lambert for Quigley (56 mins), D O'Brien for Lambert (58 mins), R Stafford for D O'Brien (68 mins).
ANTRIM: DD Quinn; A Ó Cairealain, K Kelly, J Campbell; M McCambridge, K McKeegan (0-1), C Herron (0-1); B Herron, C McGuckian (0-1); M Herron (1-2), P Richmond, M Scullion; B Quinn (0-1), J McIntosh (0-3), K Stewart. Subs: G Cunningham for McKeegan (21 mins), P Close for Scullion (48 mins), Darren Quinn for Stewart (62 mins), J Scullion for B Herron (68 mins).
Yellow cards - Wexford: N Higgins (21 mins), replaced by M Furlong; E Quigley (56 mins), replaced by R Stafford; D O'Brien (68 mins) replaced by R Stafford. Antrim: K McKeegan (21 mins), replaced by G Cunningham; M Scullion (48 mins), replaced by P Close (48 mins); M Herron (68 mins), replaced by J Scullion.
Referee: E Morris (Dublin).
