Slick Wexford booked a quarter-final date with Offaly when defeating Carlow by 1-18 to 0-8 at Netwatch Cullen Park tonight.

The winners made light of difficult conditions to fire over an array of superb points and deservedly seal a trip to Gracefield this night week.

The hosts failed to raise a flag from open play in the first half, while Wexford swept over some terrific efforts to lead by 0-10 to 0-5 at the interval.

Frees from Shane O'Neill and Sean Bambrick had the hosts ahead by two points to one after just four minutes but that was as good as it got for them... The Model County then took control of proceedings and reeled off four points without reply to lead by 0-5 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.

Another O'Neill free wasn't enough to stop the visitors from leading by double scores with ten minutes left before the break, 0-6 to 0-3, with Mikey Dwyer registering the Slaneysiders' sixth point. With the Model men lofting over some fantastic scores, Conor Firman cancelled out O'Neill's third converted free to again make it double scores

Mark Rossiter and Tom Byrne (free) brought the winners' points tally into double figures before the short whistle and O'Neill had the last say of the opening period as he popped over another Carlow free.

O'Neill reduced the arrears within seconds of the resumption but the Model County struck back with a Byrne brace; O'Neill's free had the margin back to five, 0-12 to 0-7, but the victors would outscore their opponents by 1-6 to 0-1 in the closing quarter. Shelmaliers clubman Arnold Murphy added to the winners' tally and Dwyer fired to the net in the 47^th minute following points from Niall Hughes and Ian Carty as the visitors roared eleven points clear, 1-15 to 0-7.

Substitute Darragh Pepper cancelled out Darren Lunney's consolation point and the winners tagged on two more late scores to advance to the last eight in the province with their tails up.

Wexford - M Doyle; S Barden, R Devereux, A Murphy; C Firman (0-1), N Rossiter, D Barden (0-1); N Hughes (0-2), P Devereux; J Firman, I Carty (0-4), J Stafford; M Dwyer (1-2), T Byrne (0-4, 0-2f), M Rossiter (0-2). Subs: D Bolger for J Firman, M O'Connor for J Stafford, D Redmond for A Murphy, D Pepper (0-2) for C Firman, J Roche for N Hughes, G Malone for D Redmond (BC).

Carlow - C Byrne; C O'Doherty, J Murphy, N Lowry; D Crooks, C Gaffney, J Brennan; I Atkinson, P Hennessy; S Bambrick (0-1f), J Clarke, C Bailey; D Lunney (0-1), S O'Neill (0-6, 5f), D Smithers. Subs: C Foley for I Atkinson, C Byrne for C Bailey, C Reynolds for J Brennan, C McGrath for D Crooks, M Lawlor for P Hennessy.

Referee - C O'Dwyer.

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