Wexford had 21 points to spare against neighbours Carlow at Wexford Park this afternoon – 2-29 to 1-11.

Rory O’Connor and Diarmuid O’Keeffe were the goalscorers for the hosts as their league quarter-final passage was confirmed, the Barrowsiders’ fifth straight defeat ensuring that they finish bottom of Group B. They will meet Westmeath in a relegation play-off next weekend.

With 3,306 looking on in the sunny but bitterly cold south-east, the Model County led by 1-13 to 1-6 at the break, O’Connor netting the winners’ goal from a free seconds before the short whistle.

Liam Og McGovern, Rory O'Connor (3), Harry Kehoe, Jack O'Connor and Aidan Nolan registered seven unanswered points for the Leinster champions before Diarmuid Byrne poached Carlow’s first goal of the year to reduce their arrears to the minimum – 0-7 to 1-3. O’Connor’s major meant seven separated the sides at the break and the visitors’ day went from bad to worse when, with ten between the sides, Edward Byrne picked up a second yellow card twelve minutes into the second half.

Substitute Paul Morris fired six successive points in a brilliant ten-minute spell and O’Keeffe applied some gloss with the Purple & Gold’s second major on the stroke of full time.

Wexford - J Lawlor; S Donohoe (0-1), L Ryan, S Reck; P Foley, M O’Hanlon, C Flood (0-2); L Og McGovern, D O’Keeffe (1-2); A Nolan (0-2), J O’Connor (0-3), R O’Connor (1-6, 1-4f); M Dwyer (0-1), C McDonald (0-1), H Kehoe (0-2). Subs: P Morris (0-8, 4f) for R O’Connor, S Murphy for P Foley, C Dunbar (0-1) for H Kehoe, S Casey for J O’Connor, G Molloy for C McDonald.

Carlow - D Jordan; M Malone, P Doyle, M Doyle; A Corcoran, D English, G Bennett; S Whelan, A Amond; J Kavanagh, D Byrne (1-1), J Nolan; T Joyce (0-1), E Byrne, C Nolan (0-8, 6f). Subs: JM Nolan (0-1) for J Kavanagh, C Whelan for D Byrne, K McDonald for S Whelan, C Tracey for J Nolan, G Coady for A Corcoran, J O’Neill for D English.

Referee - C Cunning.

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