Dublin U20 Footballers open their Dalata Leinster Championship Campaign with a win

DUBLIN 1-18 

WEXFORD 1-15

Dublin finished on the front foot when overcoming Wexford by three points in their Dalata Hotel Group Leinster Under 20 Football Championship Round 1 clash at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Wednesday night. 

Wexford played with the elements in the first-half and entered the break leading by 1-10 to 0-10, thanks largely to a Cathal Kehoe goal and a quartet of two-pointed scores. 

The visitors dominated affairs upon the restart but only managed to draw level early in the final quarter through a Luke O’Boyle goal and they maintained their control as five unanswered points proved the difference by the final whistle. 

There was a lively start to proceedings as Billy Shouldiuce kicked an excellent point to open the scoring in the 1st minute only for Kehoe to edge the hosts ahead soon after with a fine two-pointed score. 

Points from Alex Carolan and Shouldice restored Dublin’s narrow lead and the scores arrived freely with Callum O’Dwyer also pointing for the visitors while Brian Ivers replied at the opposite end for the hosts. 

Kehoe was a pivotal figure in the early stages and he pounced for the game’s opening goal in the 10th minute as he regathered possession after a strong run down the left and fired home from eight yards via the outstretched hand of Cillian Campion in the Dublin goal. 

While Cillian Emmett replied with a point soon after, the hosts opened up a healthy lead either side of the first quarter mark, thanks largely to a brace of two-pointers from Brian Ivers and Darragh Shannon. 

Dublin made brief inroads into their deficit through successive scores by Ryan Mitchell and Oisín Costello but another two-pointed free by Ivers restored Wexford’s six-point advantage by the 22nd minute. 

The visitors finished the half strongly however with three points on the bounce by Davin Lynch, Costello and Finn McGinnis trimming their arrears to three points by the turnaround. 

Dublin resumed in an impressive manner through points by O’Dwyer (free) and Lynch but Kehoe highlighted his threat once again when fisting over in the 35th minute. 

The visitors spurned a number of chances of getting back on level terms and they were indebted to Campion for diverting Rory Gilbert’s powerful shot over the crossbar towards the end of the third quarter. 

The Dubs were in need of inspiration at this stage and it duly arrived through their captain O’Boyle, who slalomed his way through the home defence before striking a precise finish into the bottom corner. 

Ivers and Campion exchanged cracking two-pointed frees as the contest remained on a knife-edge but scores in quick succession by McGinnis and substitutes Lenny Cahill and Rian Doherty handed them a sufficient buffer to withstand some late Wexford pressure.  

Scorers – Dublin: L O’Boyle 1-1; B Shouldice, C O’Dwyer (1f), O Costello, D Lynch, C Campion (F2), F McGinnis 0-2 each; A Carolan, C Emmett, R Mitchell, L Cahill, R Doherty 0-1 apiece. Wexford: B Ivers 0-7 (3 F2); C Kehoe 1-3 (1 P2); D Shannon (P2) 0-2; D Forde, R Gilbert, S Reddy 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: C Campion; J Donnelly, D O’Sullivan, C O’Connor; D Lynch, S Keogh, R Mitchell; F McGinnis, A Carolan; R Ennis, L O’Boyle, C Emmett; O Costello, C O’Dwyer, B Shouldice. Subs: C Hickey for Emmett (40), L Cahill for O’Dwyer (47), S Ryan for Carolan (47), F Costello for Kehoe (51), R Doherty for Costello (56).  

Wexford: W Gaul; S Fitzharris, L Kenny, M Hughes; A Carton, D Dee, S Reddy; C Kehoe, K Connolly; B Roban, J Rothwell, D Forde; R Gilbert, D Shannon, B Ivers. Subs: E Tomkins for Carton (40), D Harris for Shannon (44), Z Hernan for Forde (49), C Shortall for Dee (54). 

Referee: Paddy McDermott (Kildare).