Wexford kickstarted their National Hurling League campaign when leapfrogging fellow Division 1A strugglers Clare in a basement battle in Cusack Park.
With both sides seeking a first win of 2025, the Banner got off to the best start but it was the visitors who finished with aplomb having outscored their hosts by 1-18 to 0-11 in the final 50 minutes of the contest.
With All-Ireland champions Tony Kelly, John Conlon, David Fitzgerald and Mark Rodgers making their first starts of 2025, hopes were high of a first home breakthrough but aside from Kelly, who lit up Ennis with a scorching 1-3 opening quarter, there was an air of ring-rustiness throughout Clare's performance.
Wexford meanwhile looked like a team battling for their 1A lives as, led by Lee Chin who was also making his starting bow for the new season, Keith Rossiter’s ravenous side were full value for their rousing triumph.
Such a final scoreline didn’t initially seem likely when Tony Kelly fired a goal within 90 seconds of the throw-in. Despite being against the conditions, Clare blazed an early trail when Mark Rodgers broke Wexford’s defensive cover and offloaded to Kelly to finish to the net on their way to a 1-04 to 0-02 advantage after eleven minutes.
Kevin Foley did have a goal chance saved by Eibhear Quilligan at the other end but Wexford would have better luck over his crossbar, eventually regaining full parity by the 23rd minute after unanswered points for Cian Byrne (2), Cathal Dunbar and Chin at 1-06 to 0-09.
However, it was the last four points of the half that really put Wexford into the driving seat as the entire full-forward line of Kevin Foley, Cian Byrne and Seamus Casey - along with chief architect Chin - secured a 0-15 to 1-09 interval edge.
Aidan McCarthy’s frees got Clare back into contention on the restart but the home side didn’t heed the initial warning when Rory Hayes expertly blocked a Kevin Foley shot after Cian Byrne’s free cannoned off the upright in the 48th minute.
Three minutes later, a second Hayes block, this time on Seamus Casey, wouldn’t be sufficient as Casey finished the rebound to the net to boost Wexford 1-17 to 1-13 clear by the turn of the final quarter.
Surprisingly there would be no great Banner backlash as, if anything, it was Wexford who came closest to raiding for the next goal, only for goalkeeper Quilligan to again come to the hosts’ rescue to keep out a point blank Cian Byrne shot.
Byrne’s over-enthusiastic rebound attempt caught full-back Darragh Lohan and after consulting his fellow officials, referee Thomas Gleeson issued a red to the Wexford full-forward.
It mattered little as the Leinster side simply matched anything the Banner could throw at them to give themselves a lifeline in Division 1A with just two matches remaining.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Conor Foley, Simon Donohue, Eoin Ryan; Richie Lawlor (0-02), Damien Reck, Charlie McGuckin; Conor Hearne, Cathal Dunbar (0-02); Jack O’Connor, Jack Redmond (0-01), Lee Chin (0-05, 2f); Kevin Foley (0-01), Cian Byrne (0-09, 6f, 2’65), Seamus Casey (1-03)
Subs: Simon Roche for Redmond (51), Shane Reck for Roche (68), Tomás Kinsella for Casey (74)
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Rory Hayes, Darragh Lohan, Ian Macnamara (0-01); Cian Galvin, John Conlon, Adam Hogan; Cathal Malone, Ryan Taylor (0-01); David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers, Patrick Crotty (0-01); Tony Kelly (1-04), Aidan McCarthy (0-08, 7f, 1’65), David Reidy (0-01)
Subs: Ross Hayes for Conlon (40), Paddy Donnellan for Malone (45), Robin Mounsey (0-01) for Fitzgerald (56), Aron Shanagher for Rodgers (62), Conor Leen for Lohan (67, inj)
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)
