Treacy expected to be fit ahead of Leinster SHC duel against Wexford

Dublin senior hurler David Treacy is expected to be passed fit ahead of this Sunday's Leinster SHC round-robin (Game 2) encounter with Wexford in Innovate Wexford Park (3.0).

The Cuala clubman missed last weekend's frustrating loss to Kilkenny in Parnell Park owing to injury.

Howevever, neither Donal Burke (hamstring) nor Eamonn Dillon (quad) are expected to be available to face the Slaneysiders who are making their championship entry this weekend.

“David Treacy should be okay for next weekend. We were very much taking a precaution with him. So he will be a big plus to us,” says Dublin manager Pat Gilroy.

Dublin played Wexford earlier this year in the Walsh Cup but haven't faced the Slaneysiders in Leinster SHC action since the summer of 2016.

2018 WALSH CUP SEMI-FINAL

Parnell Park: Sunday, January 14

Wexford 1-20 Dublin 0-16

A storming last 20 minutes by the Slaneysiders saw Davy Fitzgerald's men come from behind to run out seven-point victors in last January's Bord na Móna Walsh Cup semi-final at Parnell Park.

The Dubs led 0-11 to 0-8 at the interval and had stretched their advantage to 0-15 to 0-10 by the 45th minute, however, the sending off of Paul Winters (second yellow) coupled with a scoring surge by Wexford saw the visitors to victory.

Cathal Dunbar clinically executed 51st minute goal was the catalyst for Wexford's charge for victory and coming so soon after Winters' dismissal it rocked Dublin back on their heels.

The Slaneysiders would go on to hit an unanswered 1-10 to run out convincing winners in the end with Fergal Whitely's point, his third from play, in added time at the end of the game the hosts first score in over 25 minutes as Dublin's challenge faded badly.

In the opening half Wexford settled first with two Conor McDonald points but Dublin replied with two frees from Winters before a long-range Paudie Foley free edged Wexford back in front.

Dublin then hit four in-a-row with Winters and Whitely on target and by the break Dublin were 0-11 to 0-8 to the good with Donal Burke taking over the freetaking duties towards the conclusion of the half and converting two difficult frees.

The point of the half came from Danny Sutcliffe in the 19th minute when some clever movement from the Dublin half-forward line saw the St Jude's man picked out by an Alan Nolan puckout and Sutcliffe rounded his man before accelerating towards goal from 50 metres and eventually clipping over from 20 metres off his left.

Early second half points from Burke (two frees), Johnny McCaffrey and Whitely had Dublin in a strong position when leading 0-15 to 0-10 by the tenth minute of the second half.

Then the home side suffered the double blow of first the sending off and then Dunbar's goal as Wexford finished the game off in style with Jack Guiney coming off the bench to strengthen their scoring surge with two fine points from play.

SCORERS – Wexford: P Morris 0-6 (0-4f), C Dunbar 1-1, K Foley, J Guiney, P Foley (0-1f, 0-1 '65'), 0-3 each, D Dunne, C McDonald 0-2 each. Dublin: P Winters 0-6 (0-5f), D Burke 0-4 (0-4f), F Whitely 0-3, J McCaffrey, D Sutcliffe, C McBride 0-1 each.

WEXFORD: M Fanning; D Reck, L Ryan, S Donohoe; A Maddock, S Murphy, P Foley; K Foley, Jack O’Connor; Joe O’Connor, C Dunbar, A Nolan; P Morris, C McDonald, D Dunne. Subs: E Moore for Ryan (ht), J Guiney for Joe O’Connor (48), J Firman for Morris (64), E Molloy for Donohoe (65), M O’Regan for McDonald (68), C Flood for Jack O’Connor (68), G Molloy for Maddock (69), L Rashford for Dunbar (71).

DUBLIN: A Nolan; P Smyth, B O’Carroll, C Hendricken; S Barrett, D Kelly, C Crummey; J McCaffrey, T Connolly; D Sutcliffe, F Whitely, P Crummey; A Moore, P Winters, D Burke. Subs: C McBride for Barrett (22 inj), D Gray for P Crummey (27), E Dillon for Sutcliffe (57), R Mahon for Connolly (58), J Madden for McCaffrey (63), S O Riain for Burke (65), J Hetherton for Moore (66).

2016 LEINSTER SHC QUARTER-FINAL

Croke Park: Saturday, May 21

Dublin 2-19 Wexford 0-12

David Treacy led the scoring for Dublin as they cruised through to a provincial semi-final clash with Kilkenny.

Free-taker Treacy fired eight points and had a strong game at Croke Park while Eamonn Dillon and Darragh O'Connell nailed the first-half goals that set the Dubs on their way.

Captain Liam Rushe excelled in a defence that conceded just a dozen points and only seven of those came from open play.

It was poor from Wexford who operated in Division 1B of the Allianz league and the gulf in class was apparent as Division 1A outfit Dublin dominated virtually from the off.

Heavy rain fell throughout the encounter in front of 13,066 but the conditions didn't stop Dublin from opening up with some excellent play at times.

Ger Cunningham's side carved out four good goal chances in the first-half alone, taking two of them.

Dillon dispatched the first with a trademark burst of pace through the centre of Wexford's defence before cleverly shortening the hurl under pressure and batting in from close range.

That strike put Dublin 1-4 to 0-5 ahead after 17 minutes and had the effect of a pin prick to Wexford's ballooning hopes after a bright start.

Dublin grew in confidence from there and used their momentum to open up a double scores lead by half-time, 2-10 to 0-08.

They were full value for the lead because they attacked Wexford with pace and purpose in the second quarter of the game. Treacy was denied a goal after a probing run and Daire Plunkett's shot soon after was weak and easily saved.

But it was only a matter of time before Dublin raised another green flag and O'Connell duly hit the net just before half-time.

The Kerry native was superbly fed by Mark Schutte who used his power to field Dillon's ball in and then lay it off to the onrushing midfielder who finished low to the net.

Treacy signed off on the first-half with six points, all from frees, but was influential in general play as Dublin outscored Wexford by 2-06 to 0-03 in the 20 minutes or so before the break.

Wexford hit four points in the first 15 minutes of the second-half to leave just six points between the sides, 2-12 to 0-12.

But that was as good as it got for Wexford who failed to raise any sort of spark and didn't score from the 52nd minute onwards.

Dublin, in contrast, closed out the game with six points on the spin to seal a deserved 13-point win.

DUBLIN: C Dooley; E O'Donnell, C O'Callaghan, O Gough; C Crummey, L Rushe, S Barrett; D O'Connell (1-0), J McCaffrey (0-1); D Plunkett (0-1), N McMorrow (0-4), D Treacy (0-8, 0-7f, 0-1 '65'); D O'Callaghan (0-1), M Schutte (0-1), E Dillon (1-0). Subs: R O'Dwyer (0-1) for O'Connell, C Bennett (0-1) for Schutte, P Schutte for McCaffrey, O O'Rorke for O'Callaghan, P Ryan (0-01) for Dillon.

WEXFORD: C O'Leary; L Ryan, M O'Hanlon, E Conroy; E Moore (0-1, 0-01 65), P Foley, D O'Keeffe; J O'Connor, H Kehoe (0-01); A Kenny, P Morris, D Dunne; L Og McGovern (0-04), C McDonald (0-06, 0-04f), P Doran. Subs: C Dunbar for Kenny, I Byrne for Morris, E Martin for Moore.

WEXFORD v DUBLIN

They meet in the Leinster championship for the fifth time in six seasons, Dublin won in 2016, 2014 and 2013 (replay). Dublin also won in 2009, leaving Wexford looking for their first win since 2008.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2016: Dublin 2-19 Wexford 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final)

2014: Dublin 0-22 Wexford 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)

2013: Dublin 1-17 Wexford 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final) Replay

2013: Dublin 1-17 Wexford 1-17 (Leinster quarter-final) Draw

2009: Dublin 0-18 Wexford 1-13 (Leinster semi-final)