Wexford battle Dublin to claim narrow victory and place in championship final
Wexford advanced to the final of the Bord Gais Energy Leinster Under 21 Hurling Championship after getting the better of Dublin by three points at Parnell Park tonight.
With a strong wind at their backs, the visitors started on the front foot and after shooting three poor wides, they eventually opened their account through a fine score from deep by Joe O’Connor in the 6th minute.
Despite doubling their lead a minute later through wing-back Aaron Maddock, Wexford were struggling to make an impression in their half-forward line as Conor Burke and Eoghan Conroy enjoyed influential quarters.
Their dominance prompted some concerted Dublin pressure which manifested itself in successive points from Colin Currie and Donal Burke.
The hosts continued to show a greater degree of cohesion, which was hardly surprising given the three championship matches already played, and they opened up a two point lead by the 12th minute thanks to a Currie brace.
S Casey 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), J O’Connor 1-4, M Dwyer 2-0, A Maddock, S O’Gorman, R Higgins 0-1 each.
C Currie 2-6 (0-4f), D Burke 0-3, E Dunne 1-0, E Conroy, D Gray (‘65’), C O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
J Henebery; S Barden, D Byrne, S Reck; A Maddock, D Reck, I Carthy; C Firman, R White; R O’Connor, O Foley, L Stafford; S O’Gorman, J O’Connor, S Casey.
G Molloy for Firman (22), R Higgins for Barden (29), M Dwyer for Foley (43), E Kelly for Stafford (62).
D Perry; S Howard, P Smyth, D Ryan; D Gray, C Burke, E Conroy; F Whitely, C Ryan; C Dowling, P Crummey, R Hayes; C O’Sullivan, D Burke, C Currie.
C Costello for O’Sullivan (37), L Gannon for Dowling (47), C Hendricken for Howard (52), S Currie for Whitely (54), E Dunne for Hayes (57).
David Hughes (Carlow)
