KILKENNY HOLD OFF WEXFORD’S COMEBACK BID
Kilkenny 1-13 Wexford 0-15
BRENDAN FURLONG KILKENNY held off a late Wexford surge to emerge with a single point victory in the Leinster U20 hurling final at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday.
The Cats looked comfortable when they held a 1-9 to 0-5 lead after 36 minutes, but Wexford, with Cian Byrne showing immense accuracy from frees, gradually reduced the deficit.
But with the last play of the game, five minutes into additional time, fullforward Jack Redmond was inches wide with a point attempt that would have brought extra-time.
It was an error-ridden opening 30 minutes with the players struggling to cope with the greasy conditions but it was Kilkenny who seemed more composed.
Billy Drennan got their opening score when he pointed a 50-metre free, and a second arrived with a fine Denis Walsh (inset) point out of midfield.
Wexford were struggling to get inside Kilkenny territory and Timmy Clifford extended his side’s lead, while Drennan added a pointed free to leave the scores 0-4 to 0-0 after nine minutes.
However, Wexford were gradually playing their way into the game, resulting in their opening score, a 12th minute Byrne pointed free.
But the Kilkenny response was swift with three unanswered points through Andy Hickey, Drennan, free, and Walsh’s fine long range effort, leaving them with a 0-7 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Wexford had to wait until the 22nd minute for their opening score from a play through centreback Cian Molloy. But a fine finish to the half saw Byrne point two frees, to leave just three points separating the sides at the interval, 0-7 to 0-4.
On the resumption, Redmond and Drennan, free, exchanged points, with Walsh then extending his side’s lead.
After sub Jack Doyle’s impact with a well finished goal in the
36th minute, Wexford responded with six unanswered points through Byrne, four frees, Redmond and Richie Lawlor to leave just two points separating the sides, 1-10 to 0-11, with ten minutes remaining.
With the game now showing more intensity it was Drennen’s three pointed frees that kept his side in front, but Byrne, two frees, and Tomas Redmond left the minimum in it.
Jack Redmond, though, just failed to bring the game to extratime, leaving Kilkenny to go forward to an All-ireland final meeting with Limerick.
KILKENNY: A Tallis; N Rowe, S Purcell, P Lennon; J Fitzpatrick, P Moylan, P Langton; K Doyle, D Walsh 0-3; A Hickey 0-1, T Clifford 0-1, P Mcdonald; B Drennan 0-8fs, G Dunne, T Dunne. SUBS: J Doyle J Doyle 1-0 for T Dunne (ht), I Byrne for Mcdonald (ht), J Walsh for G Dunne (41), I Byrne for Walsh (54), E O’brien for Hickey (55).
WEXFORD: C Byrne; E Ryan, C Foley, A J Redmond 0-2; J Barrett, C Molloy 0-1, K Scallan; D Carley, L Kavanagh; R Lawlor 0-1, C Byrne-dunbar, S O’hagan; C Browne, J Redmond, C Byrne 0-10, 9fs. SUBS: D Codd for Byrne-dunbar (43), T Kinsella 0-1 for O’hagan (inj. 43), J J Twamley for Carley (51), J Shiel for Browne (56), L Cassin for Kavanagh (56).
C Money (Dublin).