HL1B: Waterford win promotion battle

March 22, 2015

Waterford's Maurice Shanahan with Matthew O'Hanlon of Wexford.
©INPHO/Tommy Grealy.

Waterford 0-22
Wexford 0-16

Waterford are celebrating their return to Division 1A of the Allianz Hurling League after Pauric Mahony's 0-13 inspired them to a comfortable victory over Wexford at Wexford Park.

The visitors were much the better team as they secured their ticket back to the top flight after a 12-month absence and earned a mouth-watering home quarter-final against Galway next weekend.

A disappointing Wexford side couldn't get any closer than five points in the second half after Derek McGrath's charges had held a 0-13 to 0-7 lead at the break. Centre forward O'Mahony shot 0-6 from frees, while Jake Dillon and Colin Dunford scored 0-2 apiece for the dominant Deise, who would have been further ahead but for 10 first half wides.

Paudie Foley raised the home supporters' hopes with the opening score of the second half, but two more O'Mahony points and another from Dillon extended the winners' advantage before scores from substitute Jack Guiney (two) and Diarmuid O'Keeffe left it 0-11 to 0-18 at the end of the third quarter.

However, with Jamie Barron outstanding at midfield, the Deise ran out comfortable winners over a Wexford side who will have to console themselves with a quarter-final against Cork.

Waterford - S O'Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; T de Burca, A Gleeson (0-1), Philip Mahony; J Barron (0-1), C Dunford (0-2); M Walsh, Pauric Mahony (0-13, 10f), J Dillon (0-3); B O'Halloran, S Bennett (0-1), K Moran. Subs: M Shanahan for S Bennett, T Devine (0-1) for B O'Halloran, M Kearney for C Dunford, M O'Neill for J Dillon, S O'Sullivan for J Barron.

Wexford - M Fanning; L Ryan, M O'Hanlon, E Conroy; P Foley (0-1), E Moore, A Shore; D Redmond, L Chin; D O'Keeffe (0-3), D Waters, I Byrne (0-3f); L Og McGovern (0-2), C McDonald (0-1), P Doran. Subs: K Foley for P Doran, J Guiney (0-6, 5f) for I Byrne, H Kehoe for D Redmond, G Sinnott for E Moore, S Tompkins for D Waters.

Referee - C Lyons.


Most Read Stories