Minor Hurlers open championship campaign with a win

DUBLIN 2-14 

WEXFORD 1-14

Dublin began their Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship campaign on a positive note as they got the better of Wexford by three points in Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Dublin enjoyed a wind-assisted 1-9 to 1-7 interval lead with Joey Tobin’s 1st minute goal for Wexford cancelled out by Richie Hession’s cracking penalty early in the second quarter. 

The free-taking of Hession kept the hosts on the front foot after the break as Dublin held on despite a thrilling finish that saw Tobin strike the crossbar deep into added time with Dublin’s Hugh Doyle and Wexford’s Oisín Caulfield both sent off in the immediate aftermath. 

The visitors wasted little time in seizing the initiative as a strong run down the right by Bobby Murphy saw Tobin find space and the joint captain arrowed a fine finish past the helpless Dara Stynes from ten yards. 

Tobin added a point two minutes later to leave four points between the sides before the Dubs opened their own account courtesy of a 6th minute free from Hession.

Wexford continued to impress through further points by Rory Durack and Tobin but Dublin finally gained a foothold through another Hession free and a fine point by Evan Forde.

A brace of Hession frees either side of the first quarter mark saw the hosts reduce their deficit to the slimmest of margins and a superbly converted penalty from the St Vincent’s playerfollowing a foul on Joey Davy saw them take the lead for the first time. 

Cathal Whelan enjoyed an influential display for Wexford around the middle third and he replied with two excellent solo scores to keep the visitors in touch as the contest evolved. 

Dublin looked to be regaining the ascendancy as they struck three points on the bounce through Paul Batten, Hession (free) and Conor Nevin but their opponents replied through Tobin (free) and Robbie Kehoe to trim their deficit to two points by the break.

While Jack Furlong halved that margin within two minutes of the restart, Dublin pounced for their second goal soon after as Davy’s scuffed attempt deceived Matt Butler in the Wexford goal before rolling into the net. 

A brace of placed balls by Tobin saw Wexford to within three points but a sumptuous effort from Marc Dempsey at the opposite end was just reward for Dublin’s generous amounts of possession into the breeze. 

James O’Keefe excelled in the home defence from centre-back but was powerless to prevent Wexford from gradually closing the gap as Cormac Doyle and Bobby Murray pointed into the scoreboard end.

Dublin regained control of matters through frees from Stynes and Hession as they led by three points in injury time but they were spared as Tobin struck the crossbar from close range with the contest concluding with those late dismissals.    

Scorers – Dublin: R Hession 1-8 (1-0pen, 0-8f); J Davy 1-0; E Forde, F Reville, P Batten, C Nevin, M Dempsey, D Stynes (f) 0-1 apiece. Wexford: J Tobin 1-6 (0-3f, 0-1 ’65); C Whelan 0-2; R Durack, R Kehoe, J Furlong, C Doyle, B Murray, E Kehoe 0-1 apiece. 

Dublin: D Stynes; C McCluskey, O Brennan, F Reville; C Nevin, J O’Keefe, D Ware; C Kelly, P Batten; S Gavigan, J Davy, R Hession; J Ledwidge, M Dempsey, E Forde. Subs: S Russell for Kelly (Temp, 46-49), F O’Connell for Dempsey (49), B Farrell for Forde (49), Russell for Davy (50), H Doyle for O’Keefe (56), H Homan for Batten (61). 

Wexford: M Butler; E Byrne, A Sludds Murphy, P O’Neill; R Walsh, J Downey, C Doyle; C Whelan, J Furlong; B Murray, S Kavanagh, R Durack; O Caulfield, J Tobin, R Kehoe. Subs: S Doyle for Sludds Murphy (Temp, 19-21), B Kennedy for Kavanagh (44), J Cullen for Durack (44), E Kehoe for Whelan (52), C Kehoe for Furlong (59). 

Referee: Kyle Waters (Offaly).