Tipp humbled by Wexford

A depleted Tipperary suffered their biggest Allianz Football League defeat since 2012 when losing heavily to Wexford in their much altered round six fixture on Sunday.

GAA: Allianz National Football League Division 4 Round 6

Tipperary 0-8

Wexford 4-10

Report: Liam Hogan at Fethard Town Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Glen Malone (Wexford)

SCORERS - Tipperary: Sean O’Connor 0-4 (3 frees); Jack Kennedy (Clonmel) 0-2 (1 free); Peter McGarry, Conall Kennedy 0-1 each.

Wexford: Mark Rossiter 2-1; Sean Nolan 1-2 (0-1 free); Conor Kinsella 1-0; Eoghan Nolan, Ben Brosnan (1 free) 0-2 each; Dylan Furlong, Liam Coleman, Glen Malone 0-1 each.

The game was played at the second time of asking after the tie was postponed twenty hours earlier as the pitch at St. Patrick’s GAA in Enniscorthy was waterlogged with the game postponed a half an hour before throw-in. Attempts to have the game switched to the Wexford GAA Centre of Excellence in Ferns failed also and the teams agreed to refix the game for Sunday, back at a Tipperary venue after they relinquished it when Templetuohy, the original venue was pulled on Thursday due to the wet conditions.

Home or away, this was a very disappointing performance for Tipperary. Right from the start where the team didn’t resemble the team named on the match programme as manager Paul Kelly wanted to find out more about his fringe players. With Tipp in sixth place in the Division 4 table, one victory and two draws, few could blame him.

Tipp were on the backfoot from the first whistle as Wexford raced into 1-2 to 0-1 lead after eleven minutes when Sean Nolan scored a goal when linking up with Mark Rossiter following a brilliant fifty metre solo run by Paraic Hughes.

Tipp had sporadic forays into the Wexford half and points by Peter McGarry and Sean O’Connor (free) had the deficit back to two by the eighteenth minute. However, the next seven minutes were disastrous for Tipp. Glen Malone ran the show in the middle third and the Wexford attack had plenty of ball and two points by the impressive Sean Nolan at full forward increased the lead to four before Conor Kinsella was in the right place to first time the ball to the net as the Tipp defence pondered.

Two minutes later, Wexford had goal number three when a seven-man move led to a scrappy goal by Mark Rossiter who collided with the upright as he poked the ball over the line from two feet. Points by Sean O’Connor (free) and Jack Kennedy, either side of a Liam Coleman fly-kick, saw the teams head to the dressing room at 3-6 to 0-5.

The Tipp management made a double substitution bringing Conall Kennedy and Michael Lowry into the fray and despite increased effort it was Wexford who drew first blood when Mark Rossiter scored his second and Wexford’s fourth goal in the 41st minute.

Tipp responded but the Wexford defence gave little away while at the other end the Slaneysiders kicked four wides in a row before Ben Brosnan pointed a free in the 54th minute. Brosnan, introduced in the 46th minute, was making his 174th appearance in a Wexford jersey at the age of 36.

The remainder of the game had six points divided evenly with Tipp scoring first each time through Jack Kennedy and Sean O’Connor on frees plus Conal Kennedy from play while Mark Rossiter, Eoghan Nolan, and Ben Brosnan from a free supplied for Wexford who head into the final round battling with Leitrim and Longford for promotion.

Tipperary face Leitrim next Sunday where victory would be important with a view to the forthcoming Munster championship.

TEAMS - Tipperary: Eoin Comerford (Kilsheelan/Kilcash 6); Emmett Moloney (Portlaoise 6), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule 6), Colm O’Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan 7); James Morris (Clonmel Commercials 6), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers 6), Rory O’Dowd (Clonmel Commercials 6); Stephen Grogan (Cahir 6), Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields 6); Martin Kehoe (Mullinahone 6), Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials 7), Conor Cadell (JK Brackens 6); Peter McGarry (Clonmel Commercials 6), Paddy Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields 6), Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials 7).

Subs: Shane Neville (Cratloe 6) for Kehoe (21); Michael Lowry (Arravale Rovers) for Cadell (HT); Conal Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials 7) for O’Dowd (HT); Mark Russell (Aherlow Gaels 7) for Creedon (48); Rian Quigley (Moyle Rovers 6) for Costello (51).

Wexford: Rory Tubritt (6); Eoin Porter (6), Gavin Sheehan (7), Darragh Lyons (6); Kevin O’Grady (6), Dylan Furlong (7); Glen Malone (8); Liam Coleman (7), Niall Hughes (7); Graham Cullen (7), Eoghan Nolan (8), Paraic Hughes (8); Mark Rossiter (8), Sean Nolan (8), Conor Kinsella (7).

Subs: Ben Brosnan (7) for Nolan (46); Shane Pettit (6) for Cullen (51 inj); Cathal Walsh (6) for Colman (51); Conor Carty (6) for Rossiter (59); Graham Staples (NR) for O’Grady (67).

Referee: Patrick McGuire (Longford).