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Image courtesy Matthew Lysaght
DUBLIN 0-18
WEXFORD 1-17
Dublin suffered further disappointment following last week’s loss to Kilkenny when they succumbed to Wexford by two points in their Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship Tier 1 clash at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts led by 0-12 to 0-8 by half-time with Daniel O’Kelly contributing four of those points while Wexford were largely indebted to their captain Simon Roche, who amassed five points by the interval.
While the visitors levelled matters within seven minutes of the resumption, Dublin resettled and looked to have done enough to prevail only for Roche to convert an all-decisive 59thminute penalty for Wexford.
After Wexford’s Jack Nolan and Dublin’s Ciarán Donovan had traded early points, Roche restored his team’s lead when converting a 3rd minute free.
Points in quick succession by Ollie Gaffney and Conal Ó Riain handed Dublin the lead for the first time and Ó Riain’s Kilmacud Crokes clubmate Brendan Kenny doubled the home advantage by the 8th minute.
A Páidí Doyle point at the opposite end briefly stalled Dublin’s momentum but the hosts moved three points clear as Senan Crosbie and O’Kelly chipped in with scores by the 12thminute.
Fionn Murphy’s point soon after ensured that seven separate players had contributed to the Dublin tally with that sequence broken as the half progressed as O’Kelly and Ó Riain added their second scores of the half.
Roche kept the visitors in the hunt as the half progressed and with Ciaran Doyle also on target, Wexford faced a more manageable deficit of four points approaching the break.
The closing stages of the first-half were dominated by the respective free-takers with O’Kelly and Roche landing two frees apiece as the maintained their four-point lead by the turnaround.
Roche added another free in the early stages of the second-half and Wexford’s deficit was reduced even further by the 36th minute as they struck points in quick succession through Cillian Byrne and Ryan Donohoe.
It wasn’t long before Roche restored parity from another free only for Dublin to regain their lead by the 39th minute courtesy of O’Kelly’s fourth placed ball of the contest.
While Jack Nolan levelled matters four minutes later, the hosts were buoyed as substitute Joey Kinnane made an instant impact upon his introduction, with his score at the end of the third quarter added to by Nathan Fitzgerald.
Another substitute, David Mulqueen, ensured that Dublin retained a two-point buffer but Roche’s accuracy from placed balls and a Sean Hyland point helped keep Wexford in the hunt.
While O’Kelly’s fifth free restored a two-point lead in the 56th minute, Roche’s penalty three minutes later settled the issue, despite some intense late pressure on the away goal.
Scorers – Dublin: D O’Kelly 0-6 (5f); F Murphy, C Ó Riain 0-2 each; C Donovan, O Gaffney, B Kenny, S Crosbie, J Kinnane, N Fitzgerald, D Mulqueen, J Norris 0-1 apiece.Wexford: S Roche 1-10 (1-0pen, 0-9f); J Nolan 0-2; P Doyle, C Doyle, C Byrne, R Donohoe, S Hyland 0-1 apiece.
Dublin: D Joyce; C Groarke, B Lynch, C Kennedy; B Kenny, D Lucey, J Sheppard; K Costello, F Murphy; O Gaffney, C Ó Riain, S Crosbie; N Fitzgerald, C Donovan, D O’Kelly. Subs: J Norris for Gaffney (40), J Kinnane for Costello (44), J Kavanagh for Murphy (46), D Mulqueen for Crosbie (51), D Kilduff for Donovan (61).
Wexford: P Quigley; E Hughes, P Jones, N Furlong; P Doyle, C Roark, C Doyle; J Nolan, D McCarthy; R Donohoe, S Roche, C Carley; C Byrne, D Purcell, D Daly O’Toole. Subs: J Dunne for McCarthy (46), C Fanning for Purcell (50), S Hyland for Daly O’Toole (52), E Cassin for P Doyle (59), P Kinsella for Byrne (62).
Referee: Matthew Redmond (Kildare).