Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship Quarter-Final

Dublin 2-12 Wexford 1-8

By Michael Dwyer at Innovate Wexford Park

In a convincing fashion, Dublin’s Under-21 hurlers dismissed Wexford hopes of completing a four-in-a-row of Bord Gáis Energy Leinster championships as a brace of second-half goals proved vital in securing a provincial semi-final place for the Sky Blues.

Amid glorious sunshine at Innovate Wexford Park, Dublin opened with a tenacity that marked their entire performance. Even with a wasteful first-half where they rued eight wides, the Dubs still managed to hold their opponents scoreless for almost 20 minutes.

A brace of goals for the visitors marked a key turning-point. Arriving on the 35th and 36th minutes respectively, they both followed a similar pattern. Hopeful deliveries from Eoin Conroy and Mark McCallion respectively both ended up with Seán Ryan and Seán Tracey who duly fired to the town-end net. Those two strikes fired Dublin ahead on a scoreline of 2-8 to 0-6.

Early exchanges showed dogged endeavour. Dublin defender Eoghan O’Donnell vigorously marked Conor McDonald, who Wexford manager JJ Doyle chose to employ around the centre-forward line after the first quarter. This move limited Dublin’s advantage as they had racked an impressive string of points to lead by five-points-to-one.

Wexford earned a sizeable breeze upon the restart but they struggled to break through Dublin defence, which used clusters of players to pounce on any possession. Stylish flicks were often intercepted by the crafty Sky Blue defenders. An injury-time touch from Conor McDonald seized a goal that Wexford had craved but it was not enough to undo Dublin’s early profits.

**Dublin Scorers: **S Treacy 1-4 0-2f, S Ryan 1-1, E Conroy 0-2, J Malone 0-2, C Bennett 0-1 65, M McCallion 0-1, C O Neill 0-1.

Wexford Scorers: C McDonald 1-5 0-3f 0-1 65, C Dunbar 0-1, S Kelly 0-1, P Foley 0-1.

**Wexford – **O O’Leary, S Donohoe, L Ryan, B Quigley, A Maddock, P Foley, R White, J Firman, J O’Connor, J Cash, S Kelly, C Devitt, C Dunbar, C McDonald, D Pepper.

Subs: K Foley for J Cash (28), B Kelly for S Kelly (38), K Sheridan for R White (40), S Casey for D Pepper (43), G Bailey for C Devitt (47).

**Dublin – **J Treacy, C Hendricken, E O’Donnell, C MacGabhann, M McCallion, S Barrett, J Madden, J Malone, J Bellew, S Ryan, S Treacy, C Ó Neill, A Jamieson-Murphy, C Bennett, E Conroy.

Subs: C Boland for C Ó Neill (28), E McHugh for C Bennett (45), F Ó Riain Broin for A Jamieson Murphy (48), M Cavanagh for J Malone (52), K Wigglesworth for C Hendricken (56).

Referee – P Burke (Kilkenny).