All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers Round 1B – Wexford 0-12 Limerick 0-11

Wexford defeated Limerick by 0-12 to 0-11 in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers Round 1B on Saturday June 24th at the Gaelic Grounds Limerick.

REPORT: PJ Banville kicks late winner for @OfficialWexGAA against @LimerickCLGhttps://t.co/SpRAAxGvJa

— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 24, 2017

All Ireland SFC Qualifier: Wexford defeat Limerick

WEXFORD 0-12 LIMERICK 0-11

Report By Declan Rooney for GAA.ie

Ciaran Lyng and PJ Banville pointed the way for Wexford as Seamus McEnaney’s side edged a tight tussle with Limerick by 0-12 to 0-11 to reach Round 2B.

Three points from Banville in the second period proved crucial, although Limerick’s wides tally mounted in the closing stages as they chased the equaliser.

Substitute Jamie Lee and Iain Corbett were off target at the death and Corbett also fired a first-half penalty over the bar for Limerick, but Wexford were fully deserving winners at the Gaelic Grounds.

Playing with the wind at their backs, Limerick’s Brian Fanning’s interception started the move for the opening score, and after a couple of quick kick passes, Seamus O’Carrol pointed.

Wexford soon levelled when Ciaran Lyng pointed his first free from the left, but after 14 minutes Ger Collins kicked a free to to push Limerick ahead. Wexford impressed before the interval, and after Lyng drew them level with a good point from the left, Michael Furlong robbed the following short kick-out to give Wexford a 0-3 to 0-2 lead.

With Johnny McCarthy and Sean O’Dea solid at the back, Limerick improved, while at the edge of the square their goal hero against Clare, Josh Ryan, showed his class with an effort over his shoulder which levelled the game again after 24 minutes.

A Lyng free put Wexford a point ahead, before a stunning save from Donal O’Sullivan meant Adrian Flynn’s shot went over rather than under the bar, but nevertheless McEnaney’s side led by two points with seven minute to go before half-time.

But Limerick finished the half strongly when Ryan moved out to midfield following the withdrawal of David Ward. Ryan’s mark was moved closer and Sean McSweeney converted the free that followed, but Limerick would have been dismayed to only be level, 0-7 each, at half-time, when Corbett blasted a 33rd minute penalty over the bar for the home side following a foul on Darragh Treacy.

Both sides employed a sweeper at the Gaelic Grounds – Conor Carty and Peter Nash – but Wexford struck in the 39th and 43rd minutes when PJ Banville clipped over two points from distance to give Wexford a two-point advantage.

Collins missed an easy free to cut that advantage, but Limerick rallied well and Danny Neville andJamie Lee saw the match squared up again at 0-9 each after 51 minutes.

Substitute John Tubritt and O’Dea swapped points; Lyng and Treacy did similarly, but the winning score was hit by Banville from a free, a minute from time.

Scorers for Wexford: Ciaran Lyng 0-4 (2fs), PJ Banville 0-4 (1f), Michael Furlong 0-2, Adrian Flynn 0-1, John Tubritt 0-1.

Scorers for Limerick: Seamus O’Carroll 0-2 (1 45), Iain Corbett 0-2 (0-1 pen), Sean O’Dea 0-1, Ger Collins 0-1 (f), Josh Ryan 0-1, Danny Neville 0-1, Sean McSweeney 0-1 (f), Jamie Lee 0-1, Darragh Treacy 0-1.

WEXFORD: Shane Roche; Michael Furlong, Brian Malone, Jim Rossiter; Eoghan Nolan, Joey Wadding, Tiarnan Rossiter; Diathi Waters, Naomhan Rossiter; Ben Brosnan, Kevin O’Grady, Adrian Flynn; Conor Carty, Ciaran Lyng, PJ Banville
Subs: John Tubritt for O’Grady (47), Paul Curtis for Brosnan (54), Jake Firman for Flynn (63).

LIMERICK: Donal O’Sullivan; Sean O’Dea, Johnny McCarthy, Garret Noonan; Paul White, Iain Corbett, Brian Fanning; Darragh Treacy, David Ward; Peter Nash, James Naughton, Ger Collins; Seamus O’Carroll, Josh Ryan, Danny Neville
Subs: Sean McSweeney for Ward (28), Jamie Lee for McSweeney (51), Padraig Scanlan for Collins (56), Sean Buckley for O’Carroll (65), Ian Ryan for Naughton (67).

REFEREE: Pádraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).

Banville squeezes Wexford past wasteful Limerick https://t.co/hX27tJmfq1 #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/8wUXIr0k82

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) June 24, 2017

It is another busy weekend in the All Ireland SFC Qualifiers. GAA.ie previews all of the action ⬇️https://t.co/qBcfsiRIck

— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 23, 2017

Fixture Details

24.06.2017 (Sat)
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1B
Gaelic Grounds, Limerick 15:00
Luimneach v Loch Garman
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Ciarraí)
(E.T. if Necessary)

Team News

WEXFORD: Shane Roche; Michael Furlong, Naomhan Rossiter, Jim Rossiter; Adrian Flynn, Joey Wadding, Brian Malone; Daithi Waters, Eoghan Nolan; Kevin O’Grady, Ciaran Lyng, Tiarnan Rossiter; Conor Carty, Ben Brosnan, PJ Banville.

*Limerick lost to Clare (1-13 to 1-12) in this year’s Munster quarter-final; Wexford lost to Carlow (2-17 to 2-13) in the Leinster first round.
*Limerick and Wexford last met in the championship in the 2011 All-Ireland qualifiers when the Shannonsiders won by 1-18 to 1-17 in Portlaoise.
*Their last competitive clash was in Round 1 of this year’s Division 4 Allianz League campaign, when Wexford won by 0-14 to 1-8 in Innovate Wexford Park. Wexford later went on to win promotion after finishing second to Westmeath on 10 points. Limerick finished fourth on eight points.
*Limerick beat Antrim and lost to Cork in last year’s qualifiers; Wexford lost to Fermanagh in the first round.

DID YOU KNOW?
Both counties have enjoyed big-time success in the qualifiers. Wexford reached the 2008 All-Ireland quarter-final when beating Down in a Round 4 qualifier. Wexford beat Armagh in the quarter-final before losing to Tyrone in the semi-final.