Dublin's Second-Half Surge Seals Victory Over Wexford in Leinster Hurling Clash

Picture Courtesy Sportsfile

DUBLIN 3-26 

WEXFORD 4-19

Dublin completed their second successive victory in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship after accounting for Wexford by four points at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Following last week’s comeback win against Offaly, Dublin showed well in the opening-half but goals from Rory O’Connor and Cian Byrne ensured Wexford a marginal 2-11 to 0-16 interval advantage. 

Despite falling further behind through a Cathal Dunbar goal in the third quarter, Dublin turned the game on its head with three goals in eight minutes with Sean Currie and John Hetherton sparkling in attack as they amassed 3-14 between them.  

The Dubs started in an impressive manner through early scores from Sean Currie and late replacement John Hetherton with Wexford getting on the board thanks to Kevin Foley. 

Matters improved for the visitors in the 4th minute as Lee Chin released O’Connor down the middle and he raced clear before firing a clinical finish beyond Eddie Gibbons from ten yards. 

Dublin’s response to this body blow was hugely encouraging as they reeled off seven of the next eight scores with Darragh Power an influential figure during this period of dominance. 

Points from Cian O’Sullivan, Currie and Hetherton helped restore parity by the 9th minute and they pushed ahead thanks to further scores from Brian Hayes, O’Sullivan and Ronan Hayes, reflecting their control of matters. 

A Brian Hayes point pushed the hosts four points clear before Chin ended a scoreless period of ten minutes for Wexford as he converted his second free of the opening quarter. 

What followed was a more even encounter as Wexford began to claw their way back into the contest through scores by Conor Hearne and Richie Lawlor with Hetherton and Paddy Dunleavy replying at the opposite end. 

Dublin maintained that three-point lead for the bulk of the half but were undone in the 27thminute as Charlie McGuckin spotted Cian Byrne in space and he rounded Gibbons before slotting home. 

Despite an excellent Chris Crummey point by way of riposte, it was the visitors that finished the half strongly with scores from Lawlor, Chin and Cathal Dunbar edging them a point clear by the interval. 

Chin and Currie traded frees in the early jousts of the second-half before Power brought the teams level in the 40th minute with a fine score from under the terrace side. 

The momentum swung back to the visitors in the 47th minute however as O’Connor burst through before he found Dunbar, who made light work of a tricky angle by arrowing a rising shot into the roof of the net.

Dublin were in need of a boost at this juncture and it duly arrived four minutes later as O’Sullivan was impeded close to goal, with Currie’s resultant penalty trickling over the line despite the best efforts of Mark Fanning in the away goal. 

Within an instant, further sloppy Wexford defending was punished as Hetherton was left unmarked close to goal with Fanning not having any chance on this occasion. 

While Chin and Damien Reck replied with points for Wexford, Hetherton pounced for his second goal early in the final quarter, handing his side the initiative that they never looked likely to relinquish. 

Power, Sean Currie, Colin Currie and Conor Donohoe all clipped over points at vital stages while Chin’s goal from a free early in added time proving nothing more than a consolation score for the visitors by the final whistle.   

Scorers – Dublin: S Currie 1-11 (1-0pen, 0-9f); J Hetherton 2-3; C O’Sullivan 0-3; B Hayes, D Power 0-2 each; C Crummey, P Dunleavy, R Hayes, C Donohoe, C Currie 0-1 apiece.Wexford: L Chin 1-8 (1-6f); R O’Connor 1-2; C Byrne, C Dunbar 1-1 each; K Foley, C Hearne 0-2 each; D Reck, S Donohoe, R Lawlor 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: E Gibbons; J Bellew, P Smyth, P Dunleavy; P Doyle, C Crummey, A Dunphy; C Burke, C Donohoe; B Hayes, C O’Sullivan, D Power; S Currie, J Hetherton, R Hayes. Subs: C Currie for R Hayes (59), C McHugh for Dunphy (63), R McBride for B Hayes (69).

Wexford: M Fanning; C Molloy, C Foley, S Reck; C McGuckin, E Ryan, D Reck; S Donohoe, C Hearne; R Lawlor, K Foley, C Dunbar; Cian Byrne, L Chin, R O’Connor. Subs:S Roche for Chin (Temp, 35+1-35+3), S Casey for Chin (Temp, 42-44), L Ryan for C Foley (57), S Casey for Lawlor (58), S Roche for Donohoe (67), Corey Byrne Dunbar for C Byrne (74). 

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).