Much-changed Kildare beaten handily by Wexford in league finale

Kildare concluded their 2026 Allianz Hurling League Division 1B campaign with a comprehensive defeat against The Yellowbellies when they travelled to Chadwicks Wexford Park. The Lilies finished their 1B endeavours with their number one target, survival, secured. The defeat was immaterial but one thing that will concern Kildare fans will be the departure of David Qualter who gingerly exited the field in the 65th minute.

This game wasn’t mathematically a dead rubber for either side but league final chances were beyond slim for either barring an unprecedented (in terms of scale) win for Carlow over Dublin. This fixture had the feeling of such an encounter too with just shy of 20 first half wides shared between the teams and a much-reduced pace than Kildare hurling fans have been used to in recent weeks.

The Lilies started better with the game's first two scores through Gerry Keegan and David Qualter. Simon Roche was first on the scoreboard for the home side before Qualter restored Kildare’s two-point buffer with a free.

Wexford were level just before the 10-minute mark with Roche’s second being followed by Jack Redmond’s first. After two further wides at each end, the home side hit the front for the first time through Sean Rowley.

Jack Sheridan levelled for Kildare who then went scoreless in a dour period where they failed to score for 15 minutes and conceded 1-5.

Points from Lee Chin and Darren Codd were followed by the game’s first goal when Chin turned provider for Jack Redmond. The Wexford forward gave replacement goalkeeper Mark Doyle no chance with a stellar finish into the far corner of the net after being sent through on goal.

Points from captain Damien Reck, another from Chin and Sean Rowley’s second score rounded off The Yellowbellies’ dominant spell.

Gerry Keegan was the man to stop the rot for Kildare with his point making this game 1-9 to 0-5 with 29 minutes on the clock.

The Lilies managed three of the first half’s final four scores to narrow the gap with Qualter, Keegan and Cathal McCabe getting on the scoresheet. Sean Rowley got the final Wexford score of the opening 35 minutes as the home side carried a 1-10 to 0-8 lead in at the break.

Wexford took the restart far better with Rowley again on the scoresheet after things got back underway. A poor Kildare puck-out set Diarmuid O’Leary free to extend Wexford’s lead to seven points.

That gap was out to 10 points moments later when Jack Redmond found the net for the second time; Redmond spun Dan O’Meara beautifully and once again found the far corner of the net in convincing style.

Gerry Keegan, Jack Sheridan and the recently-introduced Cian Boran got on the scoresheet with two going the other way before Kildare in truth dropped out of this game as their handling errors and wides began to be more harshly punished.

Wexford put five points over without reply from the visitors before Jack Redmond completed his hattrick in the 51st minute to give the home side a then 13-point lead.

The Yellowbellies finished with a 21-point margin in the end as they finished 3-29 to 1-14 the better over Kildare in this league finale.

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Wexford, Jack Redmond 3-3, Lee Chin 0-7 (0-2 frees), Simon Roche 0-5, Sean Rowley 0-4, Damien Reck 0-2, Diarmuid O'Leary 0-2, Cian Byrne 0-2 (0-1 frees, 0-1 '65), Darren Codd 0-1, Richie Lawlor 0-1, Cillian Byrne 0-1, Rory Higgins 0-1.

Kildare, David Qualter 1-3 (0-3 frees), Gerry Keegan 0-5, Jack Sheridan 0-3 (0-1 frees), Cian Boran 0-2, Cathal McCabe 0-1.

WEXFORD: Mark Fanning; Darragh Carley, Conor Foley, David Clarke; Damien Reck, Richie Lawlor, Diarmuid O'Leary; Ciaran O'Connor, Conor Hearne; Sean Rowley, Lee Chin, Darren Codd; Cian Byrne, Simon Roche, Jack Redmond. Subs: Cillian Byrne for Darren Codd (43 minutes), Stephen Martin for Damien Reck (56 minutes), Rory Higgins for Jack Redmond (55 minutes), Ross Banville for Ciaran O'Connor (55 minutes), Eoin Leary for David Clarke (63 minutes).

KILDARE: Mark Doyle; Evan O'Briain, Rian Boran, Dan O'Meara; Paul Dolan, Simon Leacy, Harry Carroll; Daire Guerin, James Dolan; Cathal McCabe, Gerry Keegan, Alan Goss; David Qualter, Jack Sheridan, Darragh Melville. Subs: Cian Boran for James Dolan (43 minutes), Liam O'Reilly for Paul Dolan (55 minutes), Conn Kehoe for Darragh Melville (55 minutes), Sean Whelan for David Qualter (65 minutes), Cian Shanahan for Cathal McCabe (67 minutes).

Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim)