Wexford 1-20
Dublin 0-18
WEXFORD RETAINED THEIR Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21 hurling championship title with a brilliant victory over Dublin in Parnell Park tonight.
A cracking second-half goal by Conor McDonald was key to their victory while Jack Guiney, Rhys Clarke and Aidan Foley also impressed in front of goal.
The winners needed extra-time before claiming a dramatic win over Kilkenny in last year’s final but they got the job done in 60 minutes on this occasion as they produced an impressive performance.
The winners raced out of the traps and were 0-5 to 0-1 clear by the 10th minute and they maintained that position to be in front by 0-12 to 0-8 at the interval. Guiney, McDonald and Clarke all caught the eye in the opening period but Oisin O’Rorke impressed in attack for Dublin as they stayed in touch.
Dublin started the second-half impressively. They were 0-13 to 0-11 adrift when goalkeeper Conor Dooley launched over a monster free in the 38th minute and by the 44th minute they remained in the hunt as they trailed by 0-15 to 0-13.
Then McDonald smashed in that brilliant goal in the 45th minute for Wexford that put daylight between the sides. Wexford never looked like being overhauled from there despite the point-taking of top scorer Paul Winters for Dublin.
Scorers for Wexford: Jack Guiney 0-8 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65), Conor McDonald 1-3, Aidan Nolan 0-4, Rhys Clarke 0-2, Padraig Foley, Gary Moore, Peter Sutton 0-1 each.Scorers for Dublin: Paul Winters 0-9 (0-7f), Caolan Conway 0-3, Oisin O’Rorke, Glenn Whelan 0-2 each, Shane Boland, Conor Dooley (0-1f) 0-1 each.
WEXFORD
1. Oliver O’Leary (Buffers Alley)
2. Declan Byrne (Ferns St Aidan’s)
3. Liam Ryan (Rapparees)
4. Eoin Conroy (Naomh Eanna)
5. Andrew Kenny (Buffers Alley)
6. Shane O’Gorman (capt, Adamstown)
7. Jack O’Connor (St Martin’s)
8. Aidan Nolan (HWH-Bunclody)
9. Conor Devitt (Ballyfad)
10. Jack Guiney (Rathnure)
11. Garry Moore (Glynn Barntown)
12. Padraig Foley (Crossabeg-Ballymurn)
13. Rhys Clarke (Faythe Harriers)
14. Conor McDonald (Naomh Eanna)
15. Kevin Foley (Rapparees)
Subs
17. Jim White (Oylegate-Glenbrien) for Byrne (17)
23. Peter Sutton (Oulart-the-Ballagh) for Foley (56)
22. Tony French (Adamstown) for Devitt (62)
DUBLIN
1. Conor Dooley (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
2. Matthew McCaffrey (Lucan Sarsfields)
3. Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala)
4. Seán McClelland (Lucan Sarsfields)
5. Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille)
6. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
7. Conor Robinson (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
8. Donal Gormley (Ballinteer St John’s)
9. Cian Boland (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh)
10. Aodhán Clabby (Ballinteer St John’s)
11. Colm Cronin (Cuala)
12. Glen Whelan (Ballinteer St John’s)
13. Paul Winters (St Brigid’s)
14. Oisín O’Rorke (Kilmacud Crokes)
15. Caolán Conway (Kilmacud Crokes)
Subs
17. Cian MacGabhann (Kilmacud Crokes) for Robinson (half-time)
18. Fintan McGibb (Setanta) for Clabby (35)
Referee: David Hughes (Carlow)
Wexford the better team on the night and deserved winners. Having the bulk of the support was bound to help drive them on too. Shocking support for our hurlers in their own backyard once again.
awful support, Dublin never got going! Best of luck to Wexford in the next round
Yep. Hopefully they can go on and represent Leinster well.
I suppose we can take a few positives from that. Thought O’Rourke did very well.
He’s a smashing player, fear his physique will count against him tho, same as Barry. If he was built like McDonald he’d be playing senior.
I don’t know. Look at McCrabbe, his physique hasn’t stopped him getting on the senior squad! Thought Crummey did well too.
There was a full round of adult hurling league matches on last night, so not surprised our support was small enough
It was all AFL 1&2 last night Shane, no hurling (if that would make a difference). Even so, I can’t imagine those matches had a huge amount of spectators at them that would affect the numbers of people going to Parnell Park, only the players themselves not being available to attend would affect numbers. I’d certainly choose going to a Leinster final over my club’s league game.
What a horrendous anti-climax this BoreFest of a Holland v Argentina match has been, after watching this excellent game of hurling directly before it.
As a Clare man who loves hurling that was a joy to watch! Speed, skill, grit and talent! Both teams have promise but Wexford have that touch of class, they’re definitely a county on the rise. Hurling is in good hands with the general crop of hurlers in Leinster now and in Clare, Waterford etc.
Roll on Saturday for the replay and roll on next Wednesday for the next episode of this U21 championship – Tipperary Vs Clare.
Congratulation to Wexford, deffo the better team, gutted to lose our third Leinster final in as many days but proud of the fight our lads showed tonight. Enjoyable game.
Hard luck Shane, no doubt Dublin will be back. As a Wexford man, of course I am delighted.
So you should be John, some serious looking players on that team. Good to see Wexford sorting themselves out. If Offaly could do the same Leinster would be as exciting as Munster. Best of luck against Clare at the weekend, hope your u21s aren’t too wrecked after the ridiculous schedule.
Well Dublin are the bench mark at this grade which is testament to where Dublin hurling is too. Don’t forget Laois who are doing trojan work as are Westmeath. Hurling needs us all. Good luck in the quarter final of the senior to yourselves. We might meet again yet.
Go on Wexford! Great win! That team has a huge chance of claiming an all Ireland
Congrats to Wexford, should give them plenty of confidence for the game on Saturday. Paddy Power have them at 11/4 to beat Clare, great price for anyone having a bet.
Get in there wexford bring on Saturday now will be a tough task but sure why cant it happen
Well done Wexford, some proud hurling men, delighted to see them contending again at both senior and underage.
Hurling has it’s traditional counties and Wexford has ever been one of them but it’s only in the last 10 yrs that underage structures really got sorted in most counties whether traditional or not, fruits of that work coming thru now for example Waterford in last five Munster minor finals, winning Minor All Ireland last year, Limerick schools winning Hartys all over, Wexford and Dublin serious contenders in Lenister, Clare flying underage and senior. Great to see Laois makin a few strides too.
The challenge remains to get a few more counties competitive but it’s fair important that the counties where hurling is number 1 or at least has parity with football are competitive for Liam McCarthy.
And the posters above are 100% spot on it All starts with young lads in their clubs and decent well organised coaching from a young age!
I think anyways!!
Great credit to. Tom Dempsey and Billy Byrne who brought many of these through minor
Indeed, but don’t forget the club people who got them to the level where they can wear the purple and gold in the first place.
Absolutely – point well made
Seriously strong in the air tonight, they will go far if they can win primary possession like that at senior level
Well done wexford good win. Wexford hurling on the up.
Wexford won’t win a senior all ireland for the next twenty years as they never build on the underage success
What underage success? We haven’t won a minor all Ireland since 68 a Leinster minor since 85. Under 21 we reached a few under 21 all Ireland’s 96 and 01 I think but never won them not really success is it