The hosts were trailing by a point at half-time but battled hard and showed why they are among the favourites for the title with a blistering second-half performance.
Wexford were up and running after five minutes as Kevin O’Grady hit over a point, but Tony McEntee’s side, who were playing against the breeze, raced into a five-point lead after 12 minutes.
Sean Carrabine levelled the gamee, with a super score from Alan McLoughlin putting Sligo ahead.
Mikey Gordon extended that lead when he hit the back of the net following impressive build-up play involving Canice Mulligan and Darragh Cummins.
Niall Murphy’s first point of the day saw Sligo take a three-point lead but Wexford impressively turned it up a notch.
Eoghan Nolan and Sean Nolan hit over points, before Dylan Furlong capitalised on a poor Sligo kick-out to level the score at 1-3 apiece after 17 minutes.
In what was an incredibly tight first half, Sligo edged ahead on three more occasions with Wexford levelling each time.
And just before half-time, Sean Nolan’s third point of the afternoon put the Model County ahead at the halfway point.
Mark Rossiter extended Wexford’s lead to two points straight after the restart but Alan McLoughlin put Sligo one point behind, before McLoughlin found the net as he was played in by Murphy, with Sligo now two point ahead.
The sides exchanged points, with Sligo moving three points ahead.
Wexford kept plugging away, but two points from Carrabine extended Sligo’s lead to four points with 20 minutes to go.
Carrabine and McLoughlin added further points as Sligo went six points up. But goals change games and Wexford gave themselves a huge lift on 64 minutes.
Jack Higgins and Conor Kinsella linked up to play Glen Malone through, and he hit the back of the net to leave Wexford three points behind.
Murphy’s point gave Sligo some breathing space but they were breathing a side of relief on 67 minutes when Wexford almost added a third goal.
Higgins and Kinsella once again combined to set up Malone, but his effort came off the crossbar, with Ben Brosnan hitting over the bar from the follow up.
Carrabine, Brian Cox and McLoughlin hit points before full time as Sligo sealed the win with a six-point victory, finishing the game with 14 as Canice Mulligan was handed a black card.
Scorers – Sligo: A McLoughlin (1-4), S Carrabine (0-6 4f), N Murphy (0-2), D Cummins (0-2), P O’Connor (0-2), M Gordon 1-0), N Murphy (0-2), D Cummins (0-1), E McGuinness (0-1), B Cox (0-01). Wexford: S Nolan (0-5 3f), G Malone (1-2), M Rossiter (0-3) D Furlong (1-0), K O’Grady (0-2), E Nolan (0-1), P Hughes (0-1), B Brosnan (0-1)
Sligo: A Devaney, E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara, B Cox, D Cummins, N Mullen, P Kilcoyne, C Mulligan, C Lally, A McLoughlin, S Carrabine, M Gordon, P O’Connor, N Murphy (c). Subs: M Walsh for C Lally, 57, P Laffey for P Kilcoyne, 63, K Cawley for M Gordon, 66, L Deignan for P OConnor 72.
Wexford: R Tubritt, E Porter, G Sheehan, D Lyons, D Furlong, P Hughes, G Malone, L Coleman (c), N Hughes, K O’Grady, E Nolan, M Rossiter, L O’Connor, S Nolan, C Walsh. Subs: C Kinsella for C Walsh, 47, R Waters for D Lyons, 47, G Staples for L O’Connor, 57, B Brosnan for E Nolan, 61, J Higgins for K O’Grady, 61.
