Laois 1-14; Wexford 1-8: A little seasonal tidying for two counties wrapping up their affairs until the summer. Neither has reason to fear the warmer days. The last of the league action left both sides with what one suspects they began the league hoping for. Respectability and survival. And a goodish crowd at Portlaoise got some entertainment.
No semi-final place then for Wexford but the campaign has brought them plenty by way of confidence and they have a ticket to ride next winter as well. Laois, winners by six points yesterday, were good value for the margin and kept their Division One status into the bargain.
There was talk last summer, unaccountable really given what Mick O'Dwyer has done in various postings, that perhaps Laois were a flash in the pan, their glint made all the more blinding by the fame of their boss. It is beginning to look however as if the landscape in Leinster has been altered for some time to come.
Yesterday Laois looked the business, playing neat controlled football which occasionally burst into exuberant attack. They were wonderful in patches and pretty good throughout and their pre-eminence was exemplified in the lanky form of midfielder Kevin Fitzpatrick, who tore Wexford apart quite mercilessly.
His four rampaging points from play elevated him above Noel Garvan in the merit stakes but their combined contribution to the cause is best assessed by a look at Wexford's movements on the sideline. Both midfielders were replaced before half-time.
It's tempting to suggest Wexford suffocated on the hype. Having diced and sliced the mighty Galway a fortnight ago much was expected against less exotic opposition here but the principle dicer and slicer, Matty Forde, was well shackled by Aidan Fennelly. The defender's task was, of course, made easier by the fact that Wexford were basically asked to operate without a midfield.
Rather than freezing on the day though it may be the case that Pat Roe felt his side had done enough for this time of the year. They have a championship in six weeks' time and the heady festivities of breaking through to league semi-finals and having Matty Forde hailed as the new Declan Browne would be just the sort of thing to set them up for a sucker punch from Louth. We'll know Wexford's measure in the summer.
For now though we have only the impressions left by this sprightly game started well by Wexford with a chilly breeze at their backs. Forde pointed from a free after a couple of minutes and a sizeable travelling contingent let out the sort of roar which heralds those newly conferred with folk-hero status. By the time Ross Munnelly equalised a little later, Wexford knew that they were in for a match.
Not for the last time the defence was split and Munnelly drove through forcing a wonderful save from John Cooper. (Another save later in the half, this time from Beano McDonald made Cooper an early contender for man-of-the-match garlands.)
After Munnelly's equaliser they traded at parity for a little while. Between Forde and Scott Doran, Wexford have the twin blades to worry most defences and Doran's point on 12 minutes was a glimpse of the potential they carry. A fine passing move had the Laois defence dizzy before Doran finished well.
Laois pinned Wexford back however, via the next three scores from Chris Conway, MacDonald and the first and perhaps best from Kevin Fitzpatrick. The scores came in the space of three minutes and set the tone for the rest of the game.
The Laois forwards ducked and dived and moved constantly in anticipation of early ball. John Hudson pulled one back for Wexford but Laois scored the next five and by then the match was virtually finished even though there were 40 minutes left.
Early in the second half Munnelly put the tin hat on proceedings, catching a high Conway pass and putting a little hitch in his kicking action to fool the otherwise flawless Cooper in the Wexford goal. The ball rippled the net. Laois were seven points ahead with the breeze. Everyone switched to cruise control.
Wexford's one blip on the screen came when Mattie Forde converted a penalty not long after John Hudson had driven a goal attempt just wide.
Other than that the consolation came in the form of survival, the imminence of summer and the fact Forde is now so feared that one uncharacteristic miss into the wind in the second half drew some howls of derision from Laois supporters who had been bracing themselves. As backhanded compliments go it was on a par with Laois's level of motivation and preparedness for their visitors yesterday.
LAOIS: M Nolan, A Fennelly, C Byrne, J Higgins, D Rooney, T Kelly, P McDonald, K Fitzpatrick (0-4), N Garvan, R Munnelly (1-2, 2f), I Fitzgerald, M Dunne, B McDonald ( 0-4, 2f), C Parkinson (0-2), C Conway (0-2). Subs: M Lawlor for I Fitzgerald 60 mins, D McAvoy for Fitzpatrick 70 mins
WEXFORD: J Cooper, C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy, D Breen, D Murphy, G Sunderland, R Hassey, W Carley, D Fogarty, P Colfer, J Hudson (0-1), S Doran (0-2), J Hegarty (0-1), M Forde 1-4, 1-0 penalty 3f). Subs: N Lambert for W Carley 30 mins, E Barry for R Hassey 33 mins, L O Brien for J Hegarty 39 mins, K Kennedy for D Fogarty 60 mins, T Wall for N Murphy 67 mins.
Referee: E Murtagh (Longford)
