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Evening all and welcome to our build-up to tonight’s big hurling qualifier in Innovate Wexford Park.
The home side are trying to bounce back from that crushing defeat to Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final and recapture the golden memories of their 2014 qualifier run.
Cork have suffered their fair share of recent disappointments in losing the league final to Waterford in May and being beaten by the same opponents in the Munster semi-final last month.
Throw-in is 7pm and there’s plenty at stake.
Here’s the starting Cork team with Seamus Harnedy and Brian Lawton both coming in to start.
Cork
1. Anthony Nash (Kanturk)
2. Damien Cahalane (St. Finbarr’s)
3. Stephen McDonnell (Glen Rovers)
4. Brian Murphy (Bride Rovers)
5. Aidan Walsh (Kanturk)
6. Mark Ellis (Millstreet)
7. Cormac Murphy (Mallow)
8. Daniel Kearney (Sarsfields)
9. Bill Cooper (Youghal)
10. Conor Lehane (Midleton)
11. Patrick Cronin (Bishopstown)
12. Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr)
13. Alan Cadogan (Douglas)
14. Seamus Harnedy (St. Ita’s)
15. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
And here’s the starting Wexford team.
Wexford
1. Mark Fanning (Glynn Barntown)
2. Liam Ryan (Rapparees)
3. Matthew O’Hanlon (St James’)
4. Eoin Moore (Oulart the Ballagh)
5. Andrew Shore (Davidstown/Courtnacuddy)
6. Lee Chin (Faythe Harriers)
7. Paudie Foley (Foley Crossabeg Ballymurn)
8. David Redmond (Oulart the Ballagh)
9 Aidan Nolan (Half Way House – Bunclody)
10. Diarmuid O’Keeffe (St Annes)
11. Kevin Foley (Rapparees)
12. Ian Byrne (Ferns St Aidan’s)
13. Paul Morris (Ferns St Aidan’s)
14. Conor McDonald (Naomh Eanna)
15. Liam Og McGovern (St Annes)
Here’s the Cork subs:
16. Darren McCarthy (Ballymartle)
17. Aidan Ryan (Midleton)
18. Brian O’Sullivan (Fermoy)
19. William Kearney (Sarsfields)
20. Killian Burke (Midleton)
21. Rob O’Shea (Carrigaline)
22. Stephen Moylan (Douglas)
23. Paudie O’Sullivan (Cloyne)
24. Jamie Coughlan (Newtownshandrum)
25. Andy Walsh (Killeagh)
26. Luke Meade (Newcestown)
And here’s the Wexford subs:
16. Niall Breen (Tara Rocks)
17. Jack O’Connor (St Martins)
18. Andrew Kenny (Buffers Alley)
19. Ciaran Kenny (Buffers Alley)
20. Willie Devereux (St Martins)
21. Daithi Waters (St Martins)
22. Rory Jacob (Oulart the Ballagh)
23. Shane Tomkins (Askamore Kilrush)
24. Harry Kehoe (Cloughbawn)
25. Eanna Martin (Sarsfields)
26 Gareth Sinnott (Oulart the Ballagh)
Galway’s Alan Kelly is the referee this evening.
Cork 0-3 Wexford 0-0
Cork off to a flying start with Patrick Horgan pointing from a free before Damien Cahalana and Brian Lawton raise white flags from play.
Goal for Cork!
Cork 1-3 Wexford 0-1
Conor Lehane smashes home a goal and they go five points clear.
Cork 1-5 Wexford 0-1
Horgan launches over a long-range free and then Lehane points from play. Cork are on fire so far.
Cork 1-6 Wexford 0-1
That’s 1-2 for Lehane now so far.
Cork 1-6 Wexford 0-2
Ian Byrne’s second pointed free of the evening provides Wexford with some respite.
Cork 1-8 Wexford 0-3
Pair of points from Patrick Horgan and Cork are eight clear after the first quarter.
Cork 1-9 Wexford 0-3
Wexford’s first touch is letting them down so far and Cork’s accuracy in front of goal is demonstrated by Horgan adding another point. Wexford bring in Andrew Kenny for Eoin Moore.
Cork 1-10 Wexford 0-4
Bill Cooper from play and Ian Byrne from a free trade points. Still no point from play for Wexford.
A second goal for Cork!
Cork 2-11 Wexford 0-5
Ian Byrne nails another free but Cork’s dominance shows no signs of abating with Lehane on target again.
Cork 2-11 Wexford 0-6
David Redmond clips over a point from play and Wexford finally get off the mark in open play.
Cork 2-12 Wexford 0-6
Patrick Horgan stretches Cork’s lead again after a surging run forward from Harnedy.
Cork 2-13 Wexford 0-7
Horgan and Byrne swap points. Wexford take off Paudie Foley and bring in Harry Kehoe.
Cork 2-15 Wexford 0-8
Horgan nails another free after Paul Morris had notched a point from play for Wexford.
Half-Time: Cork 2-17 Wexford 0-9
Complete one-way traffic with Lawton and Lehane tacking on further points before the break for Cork. No doubt which of these two sides have recovered best from their provincial championship loss.
No doubt who’s the star man so far.
Back under way for the second-half action.
Cork 2-17 Wexford 0-10
Harry Kehoe points to get Wexford off to a fine second-half start.
Cork 2-17 Wexford 0-11
Kevin Foley taps over another point for Wexford. Still 12 points between the sides though.
Cork 2-18 Wexford 0-12
Horgan knocks over a free for Cork and Redmond counters with his third point from play for Wexford.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-12
Two more points for Cork as they reassert their authority, Cooper and Pa Cronin on target.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-15
Ian Byrne bags another free as Wexford slowly chip away at Cork’s advantage.
Wexford bring in Rory Jacob for Liam Og McGovern.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-16
Fine point by Ian Byrne after a neat pass from Rory Jacob. Cork bring on Stephen Moylan for Harnedy.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-17
The gap goes down to nine now with Kehoe pointing for Wexford.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-18
And now McDonald points for Wexford after Jacob placed him.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-19
Ian Byrne points for Wexford now from a free and they’ve cut the gap to seven.
Cork 2-20 Wexford 0-20
And Byrne points again for Wexford. Darren McCarthy on for Cork.
Rob O’Shea is in for Cork for Patrick Cronin.
Eight points in a row now for Wexford, eight minutes left.
Cork 2-21 Wexford 0-20
First point in nearly 20 minutes for Cork, Lehane on target again. That’s a huge point.
Patrick Horgan with a chance to kill off Wexford but his goal shot goes narrowly wide.
Cork 2-22 Wexford 0-20
Lehane again and Cork are now eight points clear.
Full-Time: Cork 2-22 Wexford 0-20
Game over for Wexford so in 2015 hurling as Cork move forward to Round 2 of the All-Ireland senior qualifiers.
Cork laid the foundations here in the first-half with goals from Conor Lehane, man-of-the-match, and Seamus Harnedy. Wexford mounted a fightback yet had too much ground to make up.