Leinster Senior Football Championship

Wexford 4-19 Carlow 0-8

By Ronan Fagan at Chadwicks Wexford Park

Mark Rossiter crashed home a second-half brace of goals as Wexford stormed through Sunday’s Leinster Senior Football Championship first-round derby against Carlow at Chadwicks Wexford Park.

The home-side lead comfortably by 0-12 to 0-3 at half-time with a strong wind aiding them after Carlow had strangely opted to face the elements having won the coin toss.

Wexford banished any hopes Carlow had of staging a successful revival as Seán Nolan and Rossiter (two) both netted in the championship for the first-timer ever, while sub Jonathan Bealin helped consolidate their passage with a green-flag.

John Hegarty’s men have now strung together a five-match winning streak measuring a combined 67 points as they head to Portlaoise next Sunday for a quarter-final against Louth, last year’s beaten Leinster finalists.

And Louth manager Ger Brennan was in Wexford to pass the rule over the Model County crew.

Carlow absorbed a double pre-match blow as captain and all-time top-scorer Darragh Foley (injury) and instrumental midfielder Jordan Morrissey (travelling) were both missing.

Colm Hulton drew first-blood for the visitors from a third minute free only to be matched in the sixth minute by Seán Nolan.

And Wexford began to utilise wind advantage as midfielder Liam Coleman and Mark Rossiter (mark) carved out a 0-3 to 0-1 tenth minute lead.

Seán Nolan and Niall Hughes sandwiched a Carlow response from Conor Doyle (free) as Wexford maintained an edge (0-5 to 0-3).

But corner-forward Conor Kinsella was twice unfortunate not to bolster their account as, firstly, his pointing effort came back off both uprights in the fourteenth minute, before he had a tame effort on goal denied by ‘keeper Johnny Furey in the eighteenth minute after being sent through by Mark Rossiter.

Wexford were clearly conscious of the need to bank a significant advantage with the wind at their backs, and this ushered the introduction of scoring merchant Ben Brosnan from the ‘bench.

On his 176^th appearance, Brosnan became their sixth contributor as the purple and gold dominated the second quarter to forge clear by 0-12 to 0-3 at half-time.

The trusty boot of dead-ball specialist Seán Nolan was crucial in that spell as Wexford punished Carlow indiscretions, with Nolan adding four frees, as Eoghan Nolan and Liam Coleman also weighed in together with Brosnan.

Seán Nolan effectively dismantled any designs Carlow had on producing a wind-assisted surge back into contention when he planted a 41^st minute goal following neat work by Kevin O’Grady, Eoghan Nolan and defender Páraic Hughes (1-13 to 0-4).

Although Nolan was denied a possible second goal – penalised for a square ball – substitute Jonathan Bealin made a quick impact when his powerful shot squirmed under the ‘keeper and to the net to swell the lead to 2-16 to 0-5 on 57 minutes.

Carlow battled with spirit, and Colm Hulton (two) and Conor Crowley pegged back points, only for Mark Rossiter to erase their fight-back when arrowing to the net from a Kevin O’Grady assist in the 63rd minute (3-16 to 0-8).

Carlow substitute Eric Molloy blasted a potential goaling chance wide only moments before Mark Rossiter was celebrating his second major for Wexford four minutes into injury-time after clever work by captain Liam Coleman, as the Model County return to the provincial quarter-finals with some force after a year’s absence.

Scorers for Wexford: Seán Nolan 1-7 (6fs, 1m), Mark Rossiter 2-2 (1m), Ben Brosnan 0-3, Jonathan Bealin 1-0, Liam Coleman, Kevin O’Grady 0-2 each, Niall Hughes, Eoghan Nolan, Glen Malone 0-1 each

Scorers for Carlow: Colm Hulton 0-4 (2fs), Aaron Amond, Conor Doyle (f), Ross Dunphy, Conor Crowley 0-1 each

Wexford: Rory Tubritt; Eoin Porter, Gavin Sheehan, Darragh Lyons; Glen Malone, Páraic Hughes, Dylan Furlong; Liam Coleman (captain), Niall Hughes; Kevin O’Grady, Eoghan Nolan, Mark Rossiter; Seán Nolan, Graeme Cullen, Conor Kinsella.

Subs: Ben Brosnan for Kinsella (22), Cathal Walsh for Cullen (54), Jonathan Bealin for E. Nolan (54), Liam O’Connor for Sheehan (59), Graham Staples for Lyons, inj. (68).

Carlow: Johnny Furey; Mark Furey, Paddy McDonnell, Mikey Bambrick; Aaron Amond, Josh Moore, John Murphy; Conor Doyle, Niall Hickey; Colin Byrne, Colm Hulton, Shane Clarke; Ross Dunphy, Jamie Clarke, Conor Crowley.

Subs: Dara Curran for Clarke (35+1), Cormac Lomax for Moore (50), Eric Molloy for Murphy (54), Kevin Murphy for Hickey (59), Bryan McMahon for McDonnell (68).

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary).