Wexford 4-9 Cavan 1-13:WEXFORD SNATCHED three first-half goals as they turned on the style at Wexford Park yesterday.

They led 1-2 to 0-1, the goal in the 13th minute from PJ Banville, before points from Raymond Galligan and Eugene Keating kept Cavan in touch but when Brian Malone was brought down, Ciarán Lyng tucked away the 20th-minute penalty.

Cavan goalkeeper James Reilly let a Ben Brosnan lob slip and Eric Bradley tapped in to the net.

Galligan, Niall McDermott and Brendan Fitzpatrick had the visitors back within two points, as they trailed 3-2 to 0-9 at the interval.

But in the second half, Cavan saw Galligan’s 51st-minute penalty pushed over the bar by Anthony Masterson, leaving them three points adrift, 3-6 to 0-11, with Wexford midfield DáithíWaters having been sent off during the penalty incident. Five minutes later a superb goal from Gearóid McKiernan left just a single point separating the sides, 3-6 to 1-11.

Cavan failed to build on that as 14-man Wexford responded with some good football, Ben Brosnan pointing a free, before Eric Bradley shot to the net, giving them a 4-7 to 1-11 lead. In the end it was the tale of two penalties which helped decide the points.

WEXFORD: A Masterson; N Murphy, G Molloy, B Malone; L Chin, A Flynn (0-1), A Doyle; D Waters, A Shore; E Bradley (2-0), R Barry, B Brosnan (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 45); PJ Banville (1-1), C Lyng (1-1, 1-0 pen), P Byrne (0-1). Subs: C Morris for Banville, D Murphy for Chin, R Quinlivan for shore, J Holmes for Barry.

CAVAN: J Reilly; D Barkey, S McCormack, R Flanagan; D O’Dowd, P O’Reilly, B Waters; D Givney, G McKiernan (1-0); N Smith (0-2), N McDermott (0-3, 0-1 free), S Jordan; B Fitzpatrick (0-1), E Keating (0-1), R Galligan (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 pen). Subs: K Fannin for Jordan; J McCutcheon for Waters; M Dunne for Galligan; D McKiernan (0-1) for Keating.

Referee: M Collins (Cork).