U-17 REALITY CHECK
Kilkenny claim victory by 15 points
LAST WEEK we noted that a true assessment of the worth of the Wexford Under-17 hurling team would be provided on the trip to meet Kilkenny in their second Electric Ireland Leinster championship encounter in Nowlan Park on Saturday.
There’s no more reliable yardstick at any level than our Noreside neighbours, and the visitors now know exactly where they stand after succumbing to a heavy double-scores defeat despite a promising first-half.
A point from Owen Whitty actually put Wexford 0-10 to 0-9 ahead less than 45 seconds into the second period, but Kilkenny soon asserted full control and eased away to an emphatic victory with the wind in their favour.
However, a lot more than the elements lay behind the 15-point winning margin enjoyed by the black and ambers whose mentors included Martin Carey, the current Wexford Senior camogie manager.
In one sense it was no surprise that the home side should win comfortably, given that they captured last year’s All-Ireland Under-16 crown.
And it’s also worth considering that Wexford fielded no fewer than six players who will be eligible for this grade again next year, confirming the belief that this crop of Under-17 players hasn’t been particularly strong coming up the ranks since their Tony Forristal days.
Indeed, that younger sextet occupied key positions on the field, comprising centre-back David Codd, midfield pairing Cian Molloy and Richie Lawlor, plus the full-forward trio of Paddy Whitty, Jack Kirwan and A.J. Redmond.
In all those circumstances, Wexford’s first-half performance was as good as one could hope for as they went toe-to-toe with the favourites and produced some fine passages of hurling in the process.
Codd had a free sweeping role after Kirwan moved out to the middle third, with Kilkenny number 5 Shane Staunton doing a similar job at the other end.
A.J. Redmond carried on where he left off the previous week with a pointed free after 40 seconds before Kilkenny surged clear with five scores on the trot in less than two and a half minutes.
The stand-out point in that sequence was a long-range strike from the right by Good Counsel’s Pádraig Dempsey who had moved out to the half-back line in Kilkenny’s defensive re-alignment to keep tabs on schoolmate Jack Kehoe.
It looked ominous for Wexford to be 0-5 to 0-1 in arrears after five minutes with the wind backing them, but they knuckled down and hit an impressive five points without reply to edge clear early in the second quarter.
Free-taker Redmond doubled his tally before adding his sole score from play via an Owen Whitty pass. And after Redmond struck one of his team’s ten wides from a ’65, midfielder Richie Lawlor attacked the puck-out and returned it over the bar with interest.
The big chance for Wexford arrived in the twelfth minute when Paddy Whitty bore down on goal with only Jason Brennan to beat, but the netminder pulled off a tremendous point-blank save.
Still, the visitors continued to probe and were rewarded with points from Tomás Murphy - after a good ball into space in the left corner by Jack Kirwan - and a Redmond ’65.
Kilkenny’s equaliser from a Conor Kelly free was their first score in almost 13 minutes, but Wexford were holding their own at that stage and moved into a 9-6 lead thanks to the accuracy of Jack Kirwan (after Richie Lawlor caught a Darragh Hayes puck- out), and Redmond with two more placed balls.
Cian Molloy dropped a couple of frees around the danger zone in the second quarter that were claimed by Jack Kehoe and Paddy Whitty respectively, but on both occasions they were bottled up and couldn’t get shots away.
And Kilkenny steadied the ship and drew level by the break, with late points from Darragh Maher, Conor Kelly (free) and Ciarán Brennan leaving the sides tied on 0-9 apiece.
Captain Kelly had won the toss and opted to face the wind first. And it didn’t take long for Kilkenny to step it up a gear despite that early lead point for Wexford by Owen Whitty after his namesake, Paddy, initially won a Cian Molloy free before delivering a handpass.
Kelly missed a handy free and then scored a more difficult one to equalise, with Darragh Maher - brother of Senior player, James - pushing Kilkenny ahead before Pádraig Dempsey landed another monster point from the half-back line.
The first big nail in the coffin was hammered home in the 36th minute when Ciarán Brennan caught a Cathal O’Leary delivery and handpassed to corner-forward Eoin Guilfoyle who batted to the net for a 1-12 to 0-10 lead.
By the time A.J. Redmond added the second Wexford point of the half, from a 48th-minute free, his team had conceded another 1-3 and the contest was well and truly over.
The second goal was forced home from close range by George Murphy after Killian Hogan was initially denied twice, first by a Darragh Hayes save and then by the butt of the post.
Redmond - who had won an official player of the week award for his 0-13 tally versus Laois - brought his haul to eight from another free before Wexford struck for a late consolation goal.
It came from lively substitute David Cantwell who deserves a start the next day on the basis of his impact off the bench.
He hadn’t much room to work with after getting on the end of a Cian Molloy free, but he twisted and turned before unleashing a powerful shot that left Jason Brennan with no chance (2-19 to 1-12).
Alas, Kilkenny responded as only they can, adding two points before Eoin Guilfoyle brought his haul to 2-2 deep into added time with his second goal from a Darragh Maher pass.
Wexford will be on the road again for their third tier 1 game this Sunday (2 p.m.), facing Dublin in Parnell Park and going into the fray once again as rank outsiders.
Wexford: Darragh Hayes (Oulart-The Ballagh); Feidhlim Roche (Blackwater), Rory Scallan (Ferns St. Aidan’s, joint capt.), Noel Rowsome (Monageer-Boolavogue); Billy Dunne (Oulart-The Ballagh), David Codd (St. Martin’s), Eanna Doyle (Cloughbawn); Cian Molloy (Naomh Eanna), Richie Lawlor (Faythe Harriers, 0-1); Owen Whitty (St. James’, 0-1), Tomás Murphy (Blackwater, 0-1), Jack Kehoe (Horeswood); Paddy Whitty (Cloughbawn), Jack Kirwan (Rapparees, 0-1), A.J. Redmond (Rathnure, 0-8, 6 frees, 1 ’65). Subs. - David Cantwell (St. Martin’s, 1-0) for Kehoe (37), Zac Firman (St. Martin’s, joint capt.) for O. Whitty (40), Dylan O’Neill (Shelmaliers) for Kirwan (50), Patrick O’Connor (Blackwater) for Redmond (57), Shane Walsh (St. Martin’s) for Dunne (58), also Cian Byrne (St. Mary’s, Rosslare), Eamonn Doran (Craanford), Cian Rowe (Naomh Eanna), Kevin Breen (St. Anne’s).
Kilkenny: Jason Brennan; Pádraig Dempsey (0-2), Pádraic Moylan, Jamie Harkin; Shane Staunton, Jamie Young, Harry Walsh; Conor Kelly (capt., 0-7, 6 frees), Killian Hogan (0-2); Darragh Maher (0-3), Ciarán Brennan (0-1), Jack Morrissey (0-2); Cathal O’Leary (0-2), George Murphy (1-0), Eoin Guilfoyle (2-2). Subs. - Peter Donohoe for Hogan (50), Dylan Crehan for Harkin (53), David Fogarty for Moylan (53), Chris Korff for Walsh (58), Peter McDonald for Murphy (60).
Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).