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Dublin manager Ger Cunningham. Ryan Byrne/INPHO
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Dublin v Wexford, Leinster SHC quarter-final

Ger Cunningham’s side take on Liam Dunne’s charges with a semi-final date with Kilkenny up for grabs.

Hello and welcome to this evening’s hurling liveblog.

I’ll be here to guide you through the hurling action at Croke Park tonight as Dublin and Wexford do battle in the Leinster SHC quarter-final.

Next up for today’s victor will be a crack at the All-Ireland champions in the provincial semi-final.

Both of these sides will be desperate to get their Championship campaigns off to a winning start tonight, with Dublin the favourites to prevail.

However, while their record at Parnell Park has been excellent in recent times, their League quarter-final against Limerick excepted, there have been question marks around the Dubs’ ability to perform at GAA HQ.

How do you see this one panning out?

As usual, you can get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments section below.

A reminder of tonight’s teams (Dublin subs to follow):

Dublin:

1. Conor Dooley (Ballyboden St Endas)
2. Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille)
3. Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala)
4. Oisin Gough (Cuala)
5. Shane Barrett (Na Fianna)
6. Liam Rushe (St Pats Palmerstown)
7. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
8. Darragh O’Connell (Cuala)
9. Johnny McCaffrey (Lucan Sarsfields)
10. Daire Plunkett (St Brigids)
11. Niall McMorrow (Ballyboden St Endas)
12. David Treacy (Cuala)
13. David O’Callaghan (Ballyboden St Endas)
14. Eamonn Dillon (Naomh Fionnbarra)
15. Mark Schutte (Cuala)

Wexford:

1. Conor O’Leary (Oulart-The Ballagh)
2. Liam Ryan (Rapparees)
3. Matthew O’Hanlon (c) (St James)
4. Eoin Moore (Oulart-The Ballagh)
5. Diarmuid O’Keeffe (St Anne’s)
6. Paudie Foley (Crossabeg Ballymurn)
7. Jack O’Connor (St Martin’s)
8. Eoin Conroy (Naomh Eanna)
9. Andrew Kenny (Buffers Alley)
10. Liam Óg McGovern (St Anne’s)
11. Podge Doran (Oylegate/Glenbrien)
12. Harry Kehoe (Cloughbawn)
13. Paul Morris (Ferns St Aidan’s)
14. Conor McDonald (Naomh Eanna)
15. David Dunne (Davidstown Courtnacuddy)

Subs:
16. Mark Fanning (GK) (Glynn Barntown)
17. Eanna Martin (Sarsfields, Cork)
18. Aaron Maddock (St Martin’s)
19. Ian Byrne (Ferns St Aidan’s)
20. Shane Tomkins (Askamore/Kilrush)
21. Cathal Dunbar (Ballygarrett)
22. Nicky Kirwan (Oulart-The Ballagh)
23. Joe O’Connor (St Martin’s)
24. Kevin Sheridan (Oulart-The Ballagh)
25. Sean Murphy (Buffers Alley)
26. AN Other

Conor Dooley and Eoghan O’Donnell will make their debut for the Dubs tonight.

Wexford full-forward Conor McDonald will lead their attack and no doubt will be a key focus for the Dublin rear-guard, for whom you would expect Oisín Gough will continue as a sweeper.

The Model Men are without a number of key players through injury tonight including Lee Chin, James Breen and Aidan Nolan.

Dublin, on the other hand, are without the likes of Peter Kelly, Cian Boland and Riain and Cian McBride through injury. Colm Cronin is also unavailable as he focuses on exams.

*Tonight’s game is on RTÉ One for those not lucky to be there in the flesh.

The football is going right down to the wire, Kildare leading Wexford 0-9 to 0-8 with just a few minutes remaining.

Brian Malone and Fergal Conway Wexford's Brian Malone protects the ball from the paws of Fergal Conway. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

The final whistle has gone in the football and Kildare have held on for a one-point win — 0-9 to 0-8.

Tonight’s Dublin subs are:

16. Gary Maguire
17. Paul Schutte
18. Niall Corcoran
19. Shane Durkin
20. Seán Moran
21. Oisín O’Rourke
22. Ryan O’Dwyer
23. Chris Bennett
24. Paul Ryan
25. Seán McGrath
26. Joey Bolan

Just minutes away from the throw in here, get your predictions in now.

This should be a tight one, particularly in sodden Croker conditions.

Wexford, particularly with the likes of McGovern and McDonald, have the ability to test a relatively inexperienced Dublin rearguard.

Currently having a minute’s silence for Galway legend Joe McDonagh — Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Now, Amhrán na bhFiann — cue the goosebumps.

Not a great turnout it must be said, even when the conditions are taken into account.

And we’re under way.

Dublin 0-0 Wexford 0-1

McGovern gets the visitors off the mark with a decent score from play.

Dublin 0-1 Wexford 0-1

Dublin centre-forward Niall McMorrow levels matters from play, he’s been one of the Dubs’ standout performers so far this season.

Some pretty slack passing and shooting to begin this one, to be expected I suppose.

The battle between the two Liams — Rushe and McGovern — looks like a tasty one already.

Dublin 0-3 Wexford 0-1

Treacy converts a routine free. Dotsy O’Callaghan did well to win it. And only moments later the Ballyboden man gets himself on the scoreboard from play.

Dublin 0-3 Wexford 0-2

Some direct running by Doran earns the Model men a free, after he is hauled down by Gough. McDonald converts with ease.

Dublin 0-3 Wexford 0-3

Wexford’s forwards are looking dangerous. This time it’s O’Donnell who gives away the free. McDonald makes no mistake from the placed ball and levels matters.

Dublin 0-3 Wexford 0-4

Wexford punish some sloppy Dublin play, Harry Kehoe splits the posts this time.

Dublin 0-4 Wexford 0-4

Classy stuff from McMorrow, who spent many years as a nippy corner-forward. These days his quick feet and smart hands are being put to greater effect further out the field. He collects the sliotar well before selling a dummy and slotting it over the bar.

Dublin 1-4 Wexford 0-5 (Dillon)

Dublin 1-5 Wexford 0-5

Just after McDonald had put Wexford in front, Dillon shows why defenders fear him. They can’t live with his blistering pace and once he has the sliotar in the lámh he drives straight at goal before batting it to the Wexford net.

Treacy adds a free soon afterwards to bring the lead out to three. This game is finally coming to life.

Dublin 1-6 Wexford 0-5

GREAT INTERVENTION from O’Keeffe — Treacy was steaming towards goal in a similar fashion to Dillon but just didn’t have the pace to match his team-mate’s previous run. O’Keeffe chases him down well and does brilliantly to smack the ball off the Cuala man’s hurl.

Treacy adds another only moments later from another Dublin free.

Dublin 1-7 Wexford 0-5

The Dublin forwards are starting to dominate. It’s Schutte this time who gets his name on the scoresheet. Five of Dublin’s six forwards have now got scores.

Dublin 1-8 Wexford 0-6

MISSED GOAL CHANCE — Plunkett should have done better, he found himself in a great position just inside the 21 but he failed to connect cleanly with the sliotar and Wexford clear their lines.

McGovern adds a point for the visitors at the other end before Treacy wins, and converts, a free about 30 metres straight in front of the posts.

Dublin 1-9 Wexford 0-6

Wexford are doing themselves no favours with their indiscipline. Another Dublin free converted by Treacy.

Dublin 1-9 Wexford 0-8

Better link-up play from Dunne’s side. McDonald gets on the end of the move and fires the ball over the bar. McGovern follows it up with a long-range point to reduce the gap to four.

Dublin 1-10 Wexford 0-8

Yet another free from Treacy, just when Wexford had their tails up a little.

Dublin 2-10 Wexford 0-8 (O’Connell)

Great move from Dublin. Dillon picks the ball up on the Wexford 45 and spots Schutte in a one-on-one position just 10 metres from goal.

Dillon fires a high ball towards Schutte who fields well before offloading to the onrushing O’Connell.

The Kerry native and Schutte’s Cuala club-mate finishes excellently from close range on the stroke of half time. That’s a huge score at this stage of the game.

HT: Dublin 2-10 Wexford 0-8

They took a long time to get going but the Dubs have started to dominate this, Eamonn ‘Trollier’ Dillon’s goal came at a crucial time when Wexford were in the ascendancy.

Too much indiscipline from Wexford has made the task even tougher, you can’t give a man of Treacy’s class so many simple opportunities from placed balls.

Dublin are finding their men that bit easier from puckouts which is a surprise considering how much they struggled with that tactic against Limerick last time out and it being no secret that that’s the way they’ve been playing under Cunningham.

Wexford will need a big start to the second half to get back into this.

Attendance just 13,000 tonight — that’s pretty disappointing, it may as well be in Parnell Park.

We’re back under way in the second half and it’s still teeming with rain.

Cathal Dunbar is on for Wexford, Kenny makes way.

Dublin 2-10 Wexford 0-9

David Dunne makes a penetrating run but is barged over with a shoulder in the back by O’Donnell on the 21. The corner-back is booked for the offence and McDonald converts the free.

Dublin 2-11 Wexford 0-10

McGovern is a serious hurler with serious speed. He blazes down the left and fires an attempt on goal. It lands about crossbar height, Dooley gets a hand to it put the greasy ball slips out of his palm and over the bar.

But McMorrow responds with a score of his own, this time off his left-hand side.

Dublin 2-11 Wexford 0-11

The intensity has dipped in this a bit — some sloppy shooting from both sides. McCaffrey guilty for the Dubs and McGovern for Wexford.

Schutte is receiving treatment after taking a heavy fall but looks like he just had the wind knocked out of him.

At the other end, McDonald is also being assessed by doctors. Looks like a knee injury for Wexford’s danger man, although it looks like he will also play one.

Moore scores from the 65m line for the Model County.

Still just a six-point game. A Wexford goal would turn this on its head.

Ian Byrne is coming on for Wexford, corner-forward Paul Morris is the one called ashore.

Dublin 2-12 Wexford 0-11

McCaffrey makes it a seven-point game after some more excellent work by McMorrow.

Dublin 2-12 Wexford 0-12

But Wexford bring the gap back to six points only minutes later through another McDonald free, which the big man won himself.

Dublin 2-13 Wexford 0-12

Plunkett swings a great score over from the right flank after some good link-up play from McMorrow and O’Callaghan.

Dublin 2-14 Wexford 0-12

GOAL CHANCE — Dublin were nearly punished for a poor short puck-out from Dooley. McGovern found McDonald after a good run at the heart of the Dublin defence. McDonald’s initial effort was saved was Dooley, as was the follow-up. And as the ball was forced towards goal again from the next scramble it was the hand of Liam Rushe that came to the rescue, and not for the first time today.

At the other end the game’s star performer McMorrow adds a delicious score from play to move the Dubs eight points clear.

Ryan O’Dwyer has come on for O’Connell too.

This is fizzling out a little bit. There are about eight minutes to play and the Dubs are still looking pretty comfortable; they’re dominating the breaking ball around midfield.

Dublin 2-15 Wexford 0-12

Substitute Chris Bennett adds a tidy score from play for the Dubs.

Dublin 2-17 Wexford 0-12

Treacy points a 65 and Ryan O’Dwyer adds a score from play.

Dublin 2-18 Wexford 0-12

Treacy points a free which was won by Dillon’s speed once again.

Niall McMorrow has been deservedly named man of the match – outstanding display from the Ballyboden player on a night that probably doesn’t suit his strengths all that much.

Substitutes all over the shop right now.

Ryan on for Dillon the latest of them.

Dublin 2-19 Wexford 0-12

Ryan takes all of 30 seconds to get on the scoresheet. Disappointing to see such a limp finish from Wexford. They look they’re just looking forward to getting dry at this stage.

Nasty head clash between O’Dwyer and O’Keeffe causes another lengthy stoppage. Both men look OK to continue.

FT: Dublin 2-19 Wexford 0-12

That’s all from a drenched Croke Park. Once Dillon’s first goal went in Wexford seemed to drop the heads and by the end of the second half they were just chasing Dublin around the park.

McMorrow, O’Callaghan, Dillon, Rushe and Crummey were all excellent for Dublin.

Wexford will need to seriously regroup after that although it’s hard to gauge where Dublin are at considering those horrendous conditions.

So much for summer hurling eh?

That’s all from us this evening, thanks for joining as ever.

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