A game of complete pandemonium in Ferrycarrig tonight as Wexford, who were two goals down at halftime as well as being a player down, somehow managed to turn it around and grab the three points with a 4-3 win. Wexford began with Paul, James, Josh, Robbie, Mikie, Darragh, Dobbsy, Calum, Conor, Zayd and Ryan B. Wexford had a dreadful opening period which lasted about twenty minutes and could have been several goals down. In the first minute, Kerry had a free volley just outside the Wexford area which wasn’t kept on target before, on four minutes, a two against one break by Kerry was somewhat luckily cleared by Wexford for a corner. Wexford then conceded a peno for a tackle inside their own area and Kerry’s Seanie McGrath converted to put the away side a goal to the good. This was followed by a yellow for Wexford defender Robbie McCourt as Wexford still struggled to get any foothold in the game. On 19 minutes, Robbie McCourt looked for a foul which wasn’t given and Kerry’s Okwute hammered a shot off the inside of Wexford’s post which somehow stayed out. Wexford then began to play and demonstrated that, with some decent passing, they could break down a hesitant Kerry defence. On 22 minutes, a nice passing move led to Darragh Levingston stroking the ball into the Kerry net but being given offside before, a minute later, a simple long ball put Wexford’s Calum Flynn free down Wexford’s right and he finished past Hiemer to put Wexford level at 1-1. However, slack defending by Wexford then conceded too much space to Seanie McGrath again, and he found the bottom corner to put the away side back in front at 2-1. After Kerry almost scored with a free header from a corner which went just wide of the Wexford post, it got worse for Wexford just before the break when Robbie McCourt was adjudged to have deflected a goal-bound shot with his arm over the Wexford crossbar. It led to a straight red and another converted peno by McGrath to leave Kerry 3-1 ahead at halftime and also with a player advantage.
Given the amount of chances at both ends in the first half, you felt that Wexford might have a chance of salvaging a point in the second half if they could get the next goal. An unpredictable referee added to the drama and it led to Wexford getting the next goal early in the second period as a free was awarded just outside the Kerry area to the home side for some unseen foul. The excellent Mikie Rowe blasted his free through the Kerry wall and Wexford could probably smell blood at this stage with the game now 3-2 in favour of the away side. Chances continued to be created at either end as Kerry almost secured a fourth goal before Mikie Rowe headed a Wexford free into the Kerry net but was ruled offside and Aaron Dobbs was put through but pulled his effort wide of the Kerry goal. Wexford also started to dominate possession as the half progressed although the dangerous Seanie McGrath had a good chance for Kerry when he clipped an effort just wide of the Wexford far post. A master-stroke triple substitution by Wexford manager, Stephen Elliott, where he brought on three energetic young players, Ryan Kelly, Filip Wasilewski and Ryan Scanlon, also seemed to negate the player advantage held by Kerry. With the extra man, Kerry should never have conceded the third goal when Aaron Dobbs was left completely free at the far post following a routine Wexford free, and he side-footed it home with ease to bring the game to 3-3. Wexford now looked the more likely to get a winner and it came when Mikie Rowe produced some real quality as he drifted past a number of Kerry defenders before smacking a left-footed effort just inside Hiemer’s far post for 4-3 to Wexford. A Kerry chance just dribbled past Wexford’s upright right at the end as a spirited Wexford performance in the second half secured the three points and kept them in the running for probably the final play-off place. Neither side will be happy with the standard of defending on show but it’ll be a long journey home for the away side. Crowd was believed to be 567.
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