Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Final

WEXFORD 1-23 KILKENNY 0-23

By Michael Devlin at Croke Park

Drama climbed upwards all the way until referee John Keenan’s final whistle unleashed Wexford delirium around Croke Park this afternoon.

As ‘Boolavogue’ rung true around the stadium, it would be difficult not to get swept up in the Yellowbelly euphoria. Davy Fitzgerald’s men courageously battled their way to a three point win over Kilkenny to land their first Leinster hurling title since 2004.

The game swung back and forth all afternoon in a titanic battle, until Mark Fanning’s late penalty gave Wexford the impetus to go on and end that 15-year wait for provincial glory.

Lee Chin was phenomenally accurate for Wexford, his nine points steering them all the way while Rory O’Connor and Conor McDonald were also hugely significant with four apiece from play.

There were never more than two points between the sides in a tit-for-tat first half that yielded only six wides in total, four for Kilkenny and two for Wexford. Kilkenny though would go on to shoot eight more wide of the mark in the second 35 minutes.

A flurry of scores from started the game, with seven points coming in an opening seven minutes of back-and forth hurling. TJ Reid, Colin Fennelly and Walter Walsh all pointed for Kilkenny, while McDonald (2), Chin and O'Connor were on target for Wexford.

Two Reid frees nudged Kilkenny in front before Chin responded with a free of his own to level the scores as both teams continued to keep each other in check. Two Kilkenny scores from late replacements James Maher and Alan Murphy were reciprocated by a Chin free and a huge effort from Simon Donoghue, before two more Reid scores and a Fennelly point swung the lead back to Kilkenny, with O’Connor on hand to reply at the other end.

By the 31st minute it was 0-13 to 0-12 to Kilkenny, Reid and Chin trading placed ball scores while Adrian Mullan also broke lose to land two points for the Cats. Wexford though ensured only one point would separate the sides at the interval, with O’Connor shooting his fourth of the afternoon from play, and midfielder Diarmuid O’Keefe sent one over from The Cusack Stand sideline just before the half time whistle.

A Walter Walsh score began the second half, but the accurate Chin and O’Keefe levelled matters again. The first real goal opportunity then presented itself to Kilkenny when Fennelly wrestled back position in the area, only to have his effort blocked away by Wexford goalie Mark Fanning.

Conor McDonald’s point soon after moved Wexford ahead for the first time since the 12th minute, before Chin doubled the advantage with his sixth free of the day drew a huge roar from the Wexford support.

That lead was short lived however when substitute Ger Aylward slotted over before Reid brought his tally to 0-10 with a score from the right wing, but while Eoin Murphy floated over a long range free to restore Kilkenny’s lead in the 50th minute, it too quickly vanished when Chin stroked over a huge fee moments later. Jack O’Connor’s first of the afternoon continued the shoot-out in the Croke Park sun and Wexford were up again with 15 minutes to go.

Mullan’s third point for Kilkenny was followed by McDonald’s fourth for Wexford, and Reid converted a 65’ to make it 0-21 apiece just before the hour mark. The Ballyhale sharpshooter then forged down the field to strike over from play to hand advantage back to Kilkenny.

Then came a huge turning point in the game in the 65th minute. Rory O’Connor barrelled through the heart of the Kilkenny defence and was hauled down, and referee Keenan whistled for the penalty. Fanning came up from goal to smash home the goal and send the Wexford crowd into raptures. Liam Og McGovern pointed minutes later to dial the delirium up another notch.

A Reid free cooled the temperature only slightly, but the momentum was very much with Wexford with several minutes of normal time remaining, and a Chin 65’ restored the goal cushion before a scramble in Wexford box resulted in the ball rolling harmlessly wide to the Wexford faithful’s delight.

Wexford scorers: Lee Chin 0-9 (7fs, 1 65’), Rory O’Connor 0-4, Conor McDonald 0-4, Mark Fanning 1-0 (1-0 pen), Diarmuid O’Keefe 0-2, Paul Morris 0-1, Jack O’Connor 0-1, Liam Og McGovern 0-1, Simon Donoghue 0-1.

Kilkenny scorers: TJ Reid 0-12 (5fs,3 65’), Adrian Mullan 0-3, Walter Walsh 0-2, Colin Fennelly 0-2, James Maher 0-1, Alan Murphy 0-1, Ger Aylward 0-1, Eoin Murphy 0-1 (1f).

WEXFORD: Mark Fanning; Shane Reck, Liam Ryan, Simon Donoghue; Paudie Foley, Matthew O’Hanlon, Shaun Murphy; Kevin Foley, Diarmuid O’Keeffe; Liam Og McGovern; Lee Chin, Conor McDonald; Jack O’Connor, Rory O’Connor, Paul Morris.

SUBS: Conor Firman for S. Reck (48), Cathal Dunbar for P. Morris (58), David Dunne for L. McGovern (65), Harry Kehoe for C. McDonald (71).

KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Huw Lawlor, Joey Holden; Paddy Deegan, Padraig Walsh, Enda Morrissey; James Maher, Conor Fogerty; Richie Leahy, Walter Walsh, TJ Reid; Alan murphy, Colin Fennelly, Adrian Mullin.

SUB: Ger Aylward for A. Murphy (42), Billy Ryan for W. Walsh (56).

REFEREE: John Keenan (Wicklow).