Fermanagh overcome disappointing Wexford

Eight Tomas Corrigan points helped Fermanagh to get their football championship campaign back on track with a 0-19 to 1-11 win, as a spirited Wexford side ran out of steam in entertaining encounter at Innovate Wexford Park.

Spurred on by wing-backs Aidan Breen and Declan McCusker, Fermanagh were good value for their victory, and having twice struck the post they could well have won by more.

At the break, the visitors led by 0-10 to 1-6 after an absorbing half of football which concluded in welcome sunshine.

With the wind to their backs, Fermanagh were the quicker to settle, with the talismanic Seanie Quigley landing a 50-metre free inside the opening minute. Donal Shanley found a rapid reply from a free for Wexford, with another free, this time from the hands of Tomás Corrigan, edging Pete McGrath's men ahead in the seventh minute.

Quigley, full of early menace and invention, landed a further free from Fermanagh's next attack, before jinking brilliantly away from the Wexford defence to send the men in the green three clear after nine minutes.

Shanley's 40-metre free almost immediately reduced Wexford's arrears before Quigley's 13th minute strike cannoned against the angle of post and crossbar from 12 yards.

The ball rebounded into the path of Tomás Corrigan who pointed for Fermanagh, but an improving Wexford kept in touch thanks to another Shanley free from the 13-metre line. Corrigan and Paul McCusker combined well to release outstanding wing-back Aidan Breen for an excellent 17th minute point.

Within a minute, Donal Shanley had maintained his accuracy from the dead ball with a 40-metre free before John Tubritt landed Wexford's first score from play in the 21st minute. And the hosts went ahead from their next attack thanks to Simon Donohue, who drilled a shot low beyond Christopher Snow to the delight of the Model support.

But Fermanagh replied well through Quigley and Barry Mulrone, before Ruairí Corrigan and Ben Brosnan traded points. In first-half stoppage time, Fermanagh skipper Eoin Donnelly edged his side ahead, and in truth they never looked back thereafter.

After the break, Wexford added only five points to their tally, with their midfield and half back lines completely over-run at times by a vibrant Fermanagh effort that featured application to equal their effort.

Following points from Tubritt and Kevin O'Grady, Fermanagh restored parity through a Thomas Corrigan free in the 36th minute, which he added to just two minutes later, and they maintained their lead all the way to the tape.

The loss of Richard O'Callaghan to a black card after 46 minutes didn't diminish Fermanagh's performance in any significant guise, and while Wexford's effort was spearheaded by midfielder David Waters, the two division gulf between the teams grew more evident as the second half wore on.

Wexford: A Masterson; J Rossiter, N Rossiter, J Wadding; B Malone, S Byrne, S Donohoe (1-1); C Kehoe, D Waters; K O'Grady (0-1), A Flynn, E Nolan; D Shanley (0-4f), B Brosnan (0-2), J Tubritt (0-3).

Subs: PJ Banville for S Byrne (47), K Butler for A Flynn (51), S Roche (0-1) for D Shanley (58), R Tierney for K O'Grady and P Murphy for A Masterson (both 63).

Fermanagh: C Snow; M Jones, C Cullen, M O'Brien; D McCusker, J McMahon, A Breen (0-2); E Donnelly (0-1), R O'Callaghan; B Mulrone (0-1), R Jones (0-1), P McCusker; R Corrigan (0-2), S Quigley (0-4; 0-2f), T Corrigan (0-8; 0-5f).

Subs: C McManus for M Jones (h-t), C Flaherty for R O'Callaghan (BC, 46), J Duffy for P McCusker (58) and D Kelly for D McCusker (70).

Referee: E Kinsella (Laois).