Wexford Under-16s ruthless in runaway win versus Antrim

The Slaneysiders came into the game on the back of a strong win against Derry, a success that was made look all the stronger by the Ulster side’s dismantling of Offaly on the same afternoon.

However, the Derry victory had nothing on this Wexford success as the Leinster side made it two wins from two, dominating all over the field from the first whistle to win by a landslide.

Wexford’s two big attacking starlets stood up to be counted again, with Emma McCarthy registering a game-high 1-11 in 43 minutes for her county, while Ciara Whelan chipped in with 4-1 in another virtuoso performance.

However, it was Caoimhe McGonigle who got on the scoresheet first, with Wexford’s opening goal in the first minute. McCarthy converted a dead-ball before Áine O’Loughlin added a second goal to make it 2-1 to nil.

Antrim got two points on the board either side of McCarthy’s second, but they didn’t score again in the half as Wexford took control.

It was 3-4 to 0-2 at the end of the opening quarter, with Whelan netting her first major in the 15th minute.

Áine O’Loughlin got her second in the 20th minute, while Whelan and McCarthy also raised green flags. McCarthy tacked on a string of points too, bringing her tally to 1-8 at the interval.

With Antrim in the middle of a 40-minute spell without scoring, Wexford made multiple changes but things on the field remained the same.

Whelan and Emily Murphy netted before Éabha Keane scored her second point and McCarthy declared not out on 1-11. Two Emily Kinsella points and a Dearbhla Dolan strike saw Wexford 9-17 to 0-2 up heading into the final quarter.

Substitutes Makayla Tobin-Cosgrave and Emma James were amongst the scorers late on, Kinsella got her goal, while Antrim added two late points to their own tally.

Wexford will host a Clare side smarting from defeat to Waterford on Sunday. It will be an interesting encounter, the first against either of the two Munster outfits in this ‘A’ shield, and will give a good indication of where the Slaneysiders are in the pecking order.

The game is currently scheduled for Bunclody at 2 p.m., subject to change.

Wexford: Muireann Kavanagh (Craanford-Monaseed); Maria Laffan (Glynn-Barntown), Elaine Doyle (Buffers Alley), Emily Murphy (Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, 1-0); Caoimhe Moore (Oulart-The Ballagh), Sarah Kirwan (Kilrush, joint-capt.), Róisín Doyle (St. Anne’s); Ellie Steadmond (Craanford-Monaseed), Caoimhe McGonigle (Tara Rocks, 1-0); Éabha Keane (St. Martin’s, 0-2), Emma McCarthy (Oylegate-Glenbrien, 1-11, 0-1 free), Keelin Doyle (Oylegate-Glenbrien); Kitty Roche (St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier), Ciara Whelan (Blackwater, joint-capt., 4-1), Áine O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue, 2-0). Subs. - Emma James (St. Patrick’s, 0-3) for Steadmond (31), Emily Kinsella (Monageer-Boolavogue, 1-2) for O’Loughlin (31), Amy Power (St. Martin’s) for Roche (34), Róisín Redmond (Craanford-Monaseed) for McGonigle (37), Martha Harte (Tara Rocks) for Laffan (37), Dearbhla Dolan (Monageer-Boolavogue, 0-1) for McCarthy (43), Makayla Tobin-Cosgrave (Kilrush, 0-2) for Keane (43), Rose Codd (Monageer-Boolavogue) for K. Doyle (45).