Wexford Trumps O'Dwyer's Wicklow in Division 2B

Wicklow 0-6

Division 2B

The honeymoon is clearly over for Mick O'Dwyer after his Wicklow shipped their second successive reverse.

The result in this scrappy, foul-ridden Division 2B tie at Aughrim yesterday followed on the second round loss to Cavan, and a continuation of the unsuccessful pattern would almost certainly see the Garden County operating in Division Four in next season's re-constituted League.

"We'll have to win three of our four remaining league games," admitted an extremely disappointed O'Dwyer, after an uncompromising contest in which Wexford's Eric Bradley was straight red-carded after 64 minutes.

Wicklow's J P Dalton was dismissed on 41 minutes after two yellow cards and eight other players were yellow-carded.

"That's not going to be an easy task. We're away to Waterford on Sunday week, and then we have to play Meath, Tipperary and Sligo," added O'Dwyer.

"It's disappointing to lose twice on the trot, but we've got to pick ourselves up and get back on track as soon as possible."

The cohesion and spark that Wicklow showed in their O'Byrne Cup ties against Carlow, Wexford and Dublin, and their opening league fixture against Antrim, was markedly absent yesterday.

And the poor level of the host county's performance is epitomised by the fact that they managed to shoot only three points when backed by a strong breeze in the first half, leaving Wexford 1-2 to 0-3 ahead at the break. Wexford's territorial dominance over the 77 minutes is exemplified by the fact that they shot 15 wides to their opponents' four.

The crucial goal was scored on 30 minutes when Wexford skipper Ciarán Deely drilled a right-footed shot low to the left corner after great work by Ciarán Lyng. The industrious Leighton Glynn covered a huge amount of ground for Wicklow, and he was well supported by Ciarán Hyland, John Slattery and Tony Hannon. Indeed, it was Glynn who reduced the deficit to a point just after the re-start.

But then four points on the trot between the 37th and 63rd minutes put the visitors firmly in the driving seat, and Wicklow's last two scores were not chalked up until the 69th and 74th minutes.

"The wind made it very difficult for both teams, and our passing let us down, particularly in the first half," said O'Dwyer. "Ironically, we played better when we had only 14 men, and there was only one score in it at the end. Indeed if Tony Hannon's pass had gone to Tommy Gill instead of going wide just before the end, we would almost certainly have scored a goal." If his side had won in an ugly, rather than a pretty, fashion, Wexford supremo Paul Bealin wasn't displaying any negative emotions.

"The important thing was to get two points, and I'm pleased that we've achieved our objective," said Bealin, who must have been particularly satisfied with the performances of defenders Philip Wallace, Brian Malone and David Murphy, midfielder Bradley and forwards Deely, Lyng and PJ Banville.

"The one area where I was disappointed was our finishing, but the comparative wides totals show that we generally controlled the match. In the first half we won three out of every four balls at midfield, and that laid the platform for a win.

"The work rate, hunger and desire of the lads was excellent, and we contained Wicklow quite well when they had a bit of a purple patch."

SCORERS - Wexford: C Deely 1-0; M Forde 0-3 (2f); C Lyng 0-1 (f). Wicklow: J Slattery 0-2; K Byrne, T Hannon, D Jackman, T Gill (f), 0-1 each

WEXFORD - J Cooper, C Morris, P Wallace, B Malone, A Morrissey, D Murphy, G Sunderland, R Stafford, E Bradley, M Forde, P Colfer, R Barry, C Deely, P J Banville, C Lyng. Subs: G Coleman for Colfer (47), S Doran for Deely (51), A Flynn for Morrissey (67), D Foran for Lyng (68), K Kennedy for Sunderland (75).

WICKLOW - R Daniels; C Hyland, D O hAnnaidh, A Byrne; M McLoughlin, D Power, L Glynn; J Stafford, B O'Donovan; R Finn, J Slattery, J P Dalton; T Gill, K Byrne, T Hannon. Subs: P Dalton for Finn (28), G Duffy for Power (h-t), S Cushe for McLouglin (51), D Jackman for K Byrne (70).

REF - M Deegan (Laois).