Wexford defy Leitrim and the wind to end Green & Gold championship dreams in tight encounter

A powerful second half from last year’s TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate finalists Wexford against a strong wind and an equally strong Leitrim challenge ended the Green & Gold’s last hope of glory on Sunday in a tight and tense encounter in Chadwick’s Wexford Park.

Level at halftime at 1-6 apiece, Leitrim fans would have been more than happy as Jonny Garrity’s side would have the wind in the second half but as so many teams are proving more adept at holding onto the ball and playing against the wind, Wexford took control of the game to secure their place in the All-Ireland Semi-Finals.

Truth be told, Wexford were probably worth their win despite some bad wides over the hour but their ability to hold onto the ball, showcased to maddening efficiency for the last seven minutes as they played keep ball, meant they were able to hold off a stubborn and defiant Leitrim.

Die hard Leitrim fans cheer on Green & Gold in Wexford - GALLERY

Diehard Green & Gold fans made the long journey to the sunny south east on Sunday to cheer on Leitrim against Wexford in the TG4 LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Quarter-Finals in Chadwicks Wexford Park. Unfortunately, it was the Model County who came out on top after a tight 3-10 to 2-10 battle but Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there to capture some great images of fans enjoying the action .... see who you can spot!

With all intents and purposes, Wexford looked to be cruising to a comfortable win when they found the net for the third time with ten minutes to go but a bolt from the blue from Leah Fox, catching the Wexford keeper out with a near side finish, suddenly had Leitrim fans dreaming of a dramatic late rescue act.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be - the experience Wexford have gained in reaching the last two All-Ireland Finals was evident in the closing minutes as they didn’t even try to trouble the Leitrim defence, happy to keep the ball in the middle third of the field and have a tiring Leitrim chase and chase them to no avail.

It was a brave effort that ultimately fell short as Leitrim were unable to get enough ball to their forwards to consistently trouble the home side, Michelle Guckian scoring nine points but unable to truly trouble Wexford from open play.

Wexford set the tempo early on as they dominated possession but despite constant pressure, all they had to show for it was two good points from Bernie Breen and Catriona Murray, a goal on for the second point after a strong Aisling Murphy run.

But five wides left Wexford vulnerable and when Leah Fox opened Leitrim’s account following an Ailbhe Clancy wide, Leitrim got a foothold in the game and drew level when Michelle Guckian punished over-carrying with a successful free.

Wexford's Chloe Fox scores a remarkable first goal on Sunday Picture: Willie Donnellan

Turning over kickouts was very successful for Leitrim and an errant kickout from the Wexford keeper was intercepted - a long ball into Michelle Guckian saw the Leitrim captain feed the ball to the charging Clancy and the Glencar Manorhamilton clubwoman produced a calm and authoritative finish for a goal after just 12 minutes.

A Chloe Fox free cut the gap to two before Michelle Guckian fired over a well worked move but Leitrim’s lead was wiped out after 17 minutes. Leitrim turned over the ball, midfielder Ciara Banville charged up the right side before shooting low towards the far corner.

Leitrim keeper Michelle Monaghan made a fabulous full-length diving save but despite numbers back and Leitrim winning possession, Wexford somehow got the ball back and Chloe Fox produced a simply unbelievable finish from a tight angle with four defenders between her and the goal, the ball rocketing past Monaghan into the roof of the net.

Fox then produced one of the stranger points of the game, eschewing a free to play the ball short before getting the ball back to score from an even tighter angle. Leitrim had wides from Clancy and Guckian had a shot blocked before Guckian converted a free that was moved in for apparent Wexford chat at the freetaker.

Wexford were beginning to feel that things were going against them when they were pinged for a player inside the semicircle on a kickout, harshly it has got to be said, and when Leitrim won the kickout, the foul followed and Guckian converted another free right in front of the posts.

Wexford broke after intercepting a Leitrim move but a rapidly retreating Leitrim defence managed to stall their progress and eventually clear the lines but a Chloe Fox free for a foul, one that might have been moved in for a penalty for a second infringement after the initial challenge allowed the Model County’s Fix to fire over.

The dangerous Wexford player would add a long range effort that just dropped over the bar as the game went into added time but when Catriona Murray was yellow carded for a foul on Leah Fox, Guckian converted the free to leave the sides level at 1-6 apiece at the break.

With Leitrim having the strong wind at their backs in the second half, albeit a swirling one at times, the Green & Gold supporters felt in confident mood at the break but it was Wexford who came out with the first score when Chloe Fox punished an off-the-ball foul with a free less than a minute into the second half.

Elise Bruen broke onto a kickout that eluded everyone and charged forward before finding Ailbhe Clancy but the Leitrim attacker was crowded out. Leitrim breaks did lead to an equaliser when Laura O’Dowd broke and set up Guckian for a fine point on seven minutes.

Leah Fox bears down on the Wexford goal on Sunday Picture: Willie Donnellan

However, Wexford were making light of the strong wind against them but the next crucial score had an element of luck about it when Chloe Fox’s shot was blocked by Charlene Tyrell only for Ciara Banville to grab the rebound some 30 yards from goal and burst through before drilling a shot past Michelle Monaghan on nine minutes.

The value of that score was doubled as the home side were back up to 15 players a minute later and it was Wexford who continued to create and miss chances, Amy Walsh and Breen both off target before a Niamh Tighe foul allowed Chloe Fox to edge her team four points clear midway through the half.

That gap was cut in half when Michelle Guckian saw a fifty go over the bar via the keeper’s hands and the crossbar on 16 minutes, a score that is worth two points in ladies football but the game seemed done and dusted on 50 minutes when the impressive Breen managed to get the ball to Chloe Fox who drilled a great shot low to the bottom left hand corner.

An Aisling Murphy point, set up by sub Emma Tomkins, and another Fox score after a period of patient play had Wexford seven points clear with less than seven minutes of normal time left.

Clancy and Fox combined to set up Guckian for a point before the gap was again cut in half, Leah Fox bursting through a hole in the Wexford defence and catching keeper Sophie Lenehan off guard when she fired hard to the net on the near hand side with just over five minutes of normal time left.

Leitrim’s challenge was infused once more with self-belief as they charged forward but all they would have to score for the last ten minutes of action was a Clancy free that flew wide of the posts on the far side.

Wexford, incredibly, would hold onto possession for all but a few fleeting seconds for the final seven minutes, playing possession football and not even trying to go for a score. A tired Letirim attempted to close them down but Wexford’s experience came to the fore as they broke challenges and avoided getting into trouble with the Green & Gold unable to win the ball back, sealing a hard fought three point win.

A strange evening in Drumshanbo

THE LAST POINT

LEITRIM

Scorers: Michelle Guckian 0-9, 1 50, 4f; Leah Fox 1-1; Ailbhe Clancy 1-0

Team: Michelle Monaghan, Charlene Tyrell, Jasmine Maye, Mollie Murphy, Sarah Reynolds, Kasey Bruen, Carla Le Guen, Megan McGovern, Aoife Gilmartin, Laura O’Dowd, Vivienne Egan, Ailbhe Clancy, Leah Fox, Michelle Guckian, Elise Bruen. Subs: Niamh Tighe for Gilmartin (HT); Bronagh O’Rourke & Siomha QUinn for Tyrell & Egan (49); Rebecca Rooney for S Reynolds (59); Aisling Quinn for McGovern (61)

WEXFORD

Scorers: Chloe Fox 2-7, 4f; Ciara Banville 1-0; Bernie Breen, Aisling Murphy & Catriona Murray 0-1 each

Team: Sophie Lenehan; Aisling Halligan, Shauna Murphy, Katie English, Bernie Breen, Roisin Murphy, Sarah Harding Kenny; Aoife Cullen, Aine Lacey, Chloe Fox, Aisling Murphy, Ciara Donnelly, Aoife Cullen, Catriona Murray, Ciara Banville. Subs: Emma Tomkins for Walsh (43); Bebhinn McDonald for Lacey (55); Maria Byrne for Murray (59)