Accurate Higgins leads way as Wexford overcome Kildare challenge

The Slaneysiders would have expected to beat the Lilywhites, despite the fact that it was the visitors’ first string. However, they were never likely to have things all their own way and that proved to be the case.

Indeed, had Kildare possessed a consistent free-taker, then it’s likely Wexford would have exited the provincial championship and would now be preparing for the All-Ireland series.

The visitors simply didn’t have anyone capable of nailing them time and again from inside the ’65 and paid the price.

On the flip side, Wexford didn’t have as many scoring opportunities from dead-balls but Nora Higgins made the most of them.

The Rathnure player was in outstanding form, racking up a tally of 1-8, with 1-3 coming from open play.

That scoring feat suggests matters weren’t as fluid elsewhere and that would also be correct. It was a really tough afternoon for the Wexford full-forward line, who were dominated by their Kildare opponents.

Wexford actually got a lot of good ball into that area, in both halves but in particular the first. Yet they were able to garner very little from it.

It wasn’t just the three starters as Alan Brennan mixed up his options in there, with only Higgins’ cameo inside showing what was possible.

Credit must go to Kildare for the way they defended, as their full-back line kept them in this game when they were under the cosh, and without that stellar performance this would probably have been over at half-time.

Wexford will need to tighten up defensively too going into the Kilkenny game. On the face of it 1-9 is a tally they would take again to concede but, as mentioned, Kildare missed a lot of frees and had some very poor shots from open play over the course of the contest.

The hosts got off to the better start, dominating the opening quarter on their way to a 0-4 to nil lead.

Lisa Firman was hooked when going in on goal in the third minute, but Wexford did get in front when Muireann Fitzpatrick flighted over from distance a minute later.

Higgins started her salvo then, and added a second from play in the ninth minute before tacking on a first free after Fitzpatrick was fouled just inside the ‘45.

Kildare’s opening point, a score from the impressive Aoife McDermott in the 16th minute, gave them some confidence to kick on.

With the breeze, Aideen Walsh got a score on the board before Orla Carragher was denied by Lizzie Dempsey.

A Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal free cut the gap to one, but Higgins countered it at the other end with a well-struck ‘45.

Kildare still had the momentum when McDermott and Niamh O’Connor scored in quick succession, but Wexford found a little extra before the interval.

Higgins pointed a free and added another from Caoimhe Byrne’s perfect pass to make it 0-7 to 0-5.

In additional time Wexford got in for the opening goal, with Higgins applying the finishing touches after good work by Firman.

That left the Slaneysiders 1-7 to 0-5 up and in a strong position going into the second period.

That quick burst of scores and the lightning start that would follow in the second-half appeared to have Wexford on their way to the win.

After Higgins knocked over her seventh point, Sarah Doyle went on a run from the right wing, cut in and shot high to Róisín Roche’s net.

That left Wexford 2-8 to 0-5 up and apparently coasting but three points in less than 60 seconds, with Walsh and McDermott (two) on target, was a clear cause for concern.

A flare-up between referee Patrick Murphy and the Kildare sideline, which involved a shouting match, resulted, and Kildare got the lion’s share of frees from then on.

A Higgins ’45 in the 42nd minute proved to be Wexford’s final score (2-9 to 0-8), and it was countered by Niamh O’Connor four minutes later.

When a dipping Orla Carragher shot found the top corner in the 51st minute, Kildare were suddenly just a goal down.

However, on a warm afternoon, defences stiffened and no further scores were added. Wexford came closest to netting, in injury-time when Emma Codd fired at Roche, but it mattered little in the end.

Wexford now face a trip to Kilkenny on Saturday and, despite their league win against them, they will go into that game as underdogs.

One would expect it to form half of a double-header, with the first team scheduled to face the Noresiders in the Senior semi-final on the same day.

Wexford: Lizzie Dempsey (Cloughbawn); Clodagh Jackman (Glynn-Barntown), Marie Claire Morrissey (St. Martin’s), Kellyanne Dempsey (Oylegate-Glenbrien); Lorna Fortune (Kilrush), Muireann Fitzpatrick (Castletown-Liam Mellows, 0-1), Grace Roche (Glynn-Barntown); Clodagh Fitzhenry (Duffry Rovers), Amy Cahill (Rathnure); Caoimhe Byrne (Rathnure), Nora Higgins (Rathnure, capt., 1-8, 0-3 frees, 0-2 ’45s), Sarah Doyle (Craanford-Monaseed, 1-0); Emma Codd (St. Martin’s), Emer Hunt (Horeswood), Lisa Firman (St. Martin’s). Subs. - Orla Redmond (Oylegate-Glenbrien) for Hunt (42), Leah Furlong (Cloughbawn) for Byrne (45), Sadhbh Buttle (Kilrush) for Firman (52).

Kildare: Róisín Roche; Aoife Newman, Laoise Mimnagh, Sorcha Dolan; Shauna Mulligan, Aoife McCarthy, Ellen Morgan; Niamh O’Connor (0-2), Méabh Maguire; Aideen Walsh (0-2 frees), Sara Carroll, Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal (0-1 free); Aoife McDermott (0-4), Sarah Lavin, Orla Carragher (1-0). Subs. - Ally Morgan for Lavin (49), Michelle Brogan for Carragher (53).

Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow).