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Wexford's Ben Brosnan and Dublin's Bryan Cullen competing in today's game. INPHO/Ryan Byrne
AS IT HAPPENED

AS IT HAPPENED: Dublin v Wexford, Leinster SFC semi-final

It was a repeat of last year’s provincial decider in today’s second Leinster SFC semi-final as Wexford aimed to topple reigning champions Dublin. Here’s how they fared.

The second of today’s Leinster semi-finals is about to start shortly with Dublin taking on Wexford at 4pm.

As always send us your thoughts and comments on this afternoon’s action. E-mail  fintan@thescore.ie, tweet us@thescore_iefind us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

After the drama of today’s first Leinster semi-final when Meath shocked Kildare, we’re now getting set for the meeting of Dublin and Wexford to see who will face Seamus McEnaney’s men in the final. Here are the teams for today’s second game.

DUBLIN SF: Stephen Cluxton (Parnells); Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams), Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes), M Fitzsimons (Cuala); James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams), Ger Brennan (St Vincent’s), K Nolan (Kilmacud Crokes); Denis Bastick (Templeogue Synge Street), Eamonn Fennell (St Vincent’s); Brian Cullen (Skerries Harps), Alan Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s-Eoghan Ruadh), Paul Flynn (Fingallian’s); Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent’s), Kevin McMenamon (St Jude’s), Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s-Eoghan Ruadh).

WEXFORD SF: Anthony Masterson (Castletown); Rob Tierney (Glynn-Barntown), Graeme Molloy (St James), Brian Malone (Shelmaliers); Adrian Flynn (Gusserane), David Murphy (Rosslare), Lee Chin (Sarsfields); Daithi Waters (St Martin’s), Rory Quinlivan (Parnells); Paddy Byrne (Kilmore), Shane Roche (Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s), Ben Brosnan (Bannow); Ciaran Lyng (St Martin’s), Eric Bradley (Adamstown), Redmond Barry (St Anne’s).

There’s one change amongst the Dublin substitutes with Jack McCaffrey, a member of the recent Dublin All-Ireland u21 winning side, replacing Johnny Cooper. Ciaran Kilkenny is another member of that victorious U21 team amongst the Dublin senior replacements this afternoon. Here’s everything you need to know before today’s game.

Three late changes to the Wexford team. Aindreas Doyle, PJ Banville and Colm Morris have all been brought in for Rob Tierney, Rory Quinlivan and Paddy Byrne.

Dublin 0-1 Wexford 0-0: 45 seconds in and Dublin draw first blood. Kevin McManamon shrugs off the challenge of Lee Chin to point after the pass was supplied to him by Brian Cullen.

Dublin 0-2 Wexford 0-0: Another member of the Dublin full-forward line gets on the scoreboard with Diarmuid Connolly striking a classy score off his left. Strong start by Dublin whereas Wexford are still feeling their way into the match and have hit a couple of early wides.

Dublin 0-2 Wexford 0-1: Jason Ryan will be happier now as Wexford are settling into the match. Redmond Barry gets them off the mark with a point and then Ben Brosnan nearly ties the match but his shot strikes the post.

Dublin nearly pounce for the game’s first goal but Alan Brogan’s shot is blocked by the feet of Wexford net minder Anthony Masterson. Brogan is then off target with a point effort and it’s still 0-2 to 0-1 in Dublin’s favor with 8 minutes gone.

Wexford 1-1 Dublin 0-2: What a boost for Wexford as they manage to find the net with a fine goal. The score is created by Ciaran Lyng who sends in a beautiful pass with his left foot toward Redmond Barry. Michael Fitzsimons positioning is suspect as Barry collects possession and evades the defensive challenge. He keeps his cool to slip the ball past the advancing Stephen Cluxton to the delight of the Model County supporters.

Wexford 1-2 Dublin 0-3: The teams trade points with firstly Alan Brogan launching over a good point from the right wing and then Ben Brosnan getting his first score of the game after the chance was created by a superb catch by Shane Roche.

There are few signs of lethargy in Dublin’s performance in the early stages and they do not seem as clinical as normal up front. Bernard Brogan has just blasted a shot high and wide from a good position and after 17 minutes Wexford can be pleased with their start to the game.

Wexford 1-4 Dublin 0-3: And Wexford move further ahead with wing-back Adrian Flynn charging forward to convert a good score and then Ben Brosnan sweeping over a point from the right wing. Sandwiched in between those scores at the other end Diarmuid Connolly struck another poor wide for Dublin. 20 minutes gone here in Croke Park.

Wexford 1-5 Dublin 1-3: That should settle down the reigning champions. Kevin McManamon feeds Diarmuid Connolly who atones for his earlier miss by slicing through the Wexford rearguard and hammering a low shot into the far corner of the net. But Wexford are not rattled by that concession with Ben Brosnan just after firing over an outstanding score from distance.

Wexford 1-5 Dublin 1-4: He hit the first point of the game and now Kevin McManamon has grabbed another. Good interplay with Diarmuid Connolly helped create the chance and the St Jude’s man steadied himself to score.

Wexford 1-5 Dublin 1-5: The teams are level courtesy of a point by Dublin wing-forward Brian Cullen. But his side could easily have gone ahead as prior to that point Bernard Brogan had a golden chance to score a goal. He saw his left-foot drive expertly saved by Anthony Masterson in the Wexford goal.

Dublin are not quite operating at the high standard we have come to expect and Pat Gilroy has moved to rectify that by making his first change of the game. Cian O’Sullivan is on in their defence for Ger Brennan.

Ben Brosnan is unlucky not to edge Wexford ahead with a free from an acute angle striking the upright and going wide. Dublin move downfield and Alan Brogan has the chance to put them in front but his left-foot shot drifts wide.

Wexford 1-6 Dublin 1-5: Shane Roche curls over a free from in front of the posts after PJ Banville was fouled when running through. That’s the first score in the game from a placed ball. Wexford are a point to the good as we enter injury-time at the end of the first-half.

Wexford 1-8 Dublin 1-5: It’s half-time in Croke Park and the situation has got even better for Wexford before the break. PJ Banville, after a brilliant pass by Ciaran Lyng, and Ben Brosnan have struck over two high-quality points. Jason Ryan’s men are three points to the good and full value for that advantage. Plenty for Pat Gilroy to ponder at the break as his Dublin team have been below-par for spells in the first-half.

Here are the scorers from the first-half of this clash in Croke Park.

WEXFORD: Ben Brosnan 0-4, Redmond Barry 1-1, Shane Roche (0-1f), PJ Banville, Adrian Flynn 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: Diarmuid Connolly 1-1, Kevin McManamon 0-2, Alan Brogan, Bryan Cullen 0-1 each.

One change on the Dublin team at the interval with Michael Darragh MacAuley on for Eamonn Fennell at midfield. Second-half has just started.

Wexford 1-8 Dublin 1-6: And Dublin’s task of winning this game has suddenly got harder. Diarmuid Connolly has received a straight red card for an off the ball striking incident as he tussled with Wexford defender Brian Malone. Stephen Cluxton has just converted a free for Dublin but Wexford have a great chance here with an extra man.

Wexford 1-8 Dublin 1-7: Dublin are responding well to that setback of losing Connolly with wing-back Kevin Nolan curling over a point. Moments previously Bryan Cullen had a great goal chance but his shot was stopped by Anthony Masterson. Eight minutes gone in the second-half.

Wexford 1-8 Dublin 1-8: Suddenly it’s a drawn game as Dublin have wiped out Wexford’s advantage with Bernard Brogan hitting a free to tie the sides. Wexford have not started the second-half well, displaying poor shot selection in front of the posts.

Wexford 1-9 Dublin 1-8: A vital point for Wexford, their first of the second-half, and it’s supplied by Adrian Flynn. They needed that after a slow start to the second-half and the home support had been in full voice following Dublin’s comeback.

Wexford 1-10 Dublin 1-8: Shane Roche stretches Wexford’s lead by pointing a free in front of the posts. The Dublin players and supporters were infuriated by the decision to award that free but Roche kept his nerve to score. There’s 20 minutes left and ultimately this represents a great opportunity for Wexford to finally defeat Dublin after running them close in recent years.

Wexford attacker Ciaran Lyng has been withdrawn with Paddy Byrne drafted on in his place. That looks like being an enforced decision as Lyng had been hampered with a groin injury in recent weeks that ruled him out of the quarter-final replay win over Longford.

Dublin 2-8 Wexford 1-10: The game has swung in Dublin’s direction. Firstly Kevin McManamon hands them a massive boost by finding the net after Paul Flynn’s long free finds Bernard Brogan who transfers possession to McManamon. Wexford full-back Graeme Molloy badly judged the flight of the ball allowing it to reach Brogan. Ben Brosnan and Brogan have both just been off target with efforts from placed balls. 16 minutes of normal time remaining.

Dublin 2-9 Wexford 1-10: The goalscoring hero from last September has been inspirational for Dublin today. Kevin McManamon brings his tally to 1-3 by firing over a point after cutting in from the left wing. In contrast Ben Brosnan cannot find his range from frees, striking a ’45 wide.

Wexford bring on John Leacy to replace Colm Morris. There’s 11 minutes left and they’re still in this game as they only trail by two points. But they’re finding scores difficult to source with Brosnan just after failing to convert a placed ball opportunity for the ninth time today. The fourteen men of Dublin are still in control.

They were in superb form in attack in the first-half but there has been a sharp contrast in Wexford’s play in the second-half. Redmond Barry has just spurned a chance to notch a point with his under hit shot falling into the arms of Stephen Cluxton.

Interesting substitution by Dublin as star man Bernard Brogan, who has been quiet today by his high standards, is withdrawn as Eoghan O’Gara is brought on. O’Gara makes an early impression, winning a free after Adrian Flynn fouls him, but Stephen Cluxton drives the resultant free against the upright. Niall Murphy on the Wexford team for Aindreas Doyle. Five minutes left here.

The attendance for today’s double-header in Croke Park by the way is 47,961.

Dublin 2-11 Wexford 1-10: Another vital point for Dublin is supplied by Kilmacud Crokes defender Kevin Nolan and then Bryan Cullen is on target after a great run by Michael Darragh MacAuley. A change on the Dublin team as well as underage star Ciaran Kilkenny makes his senior championship debut coming on for Kevin McManamon. Just one minute of normal time left here.

Changes on both teams. Wexford bring on Joey Wadding on for Graeme Molloy and James Holmes for Brian Malone. Dublin introduce Ross McConnell for Denis Bastic.

Dublin 2-11 Wexford 1-10: It’s all over and Dublin have prevailed by four points to set up a Leinster final date with Meath. A huge victory for them as they overcame a three-point interval deficit and the second-half sending-off of Diarmuid Connolly. It’s a devastating defeat for Wexford, their third successive Leinster championship loss to Dublin, and they must now prepare for the qualifiers. We’ll be back later on with analysis and reaction from today’s game but for now that’s it. Thanks for joining us this afternoon.

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