Good afternoon, folks. Welcome along to our liveblog of the first of this year’s All-Ireland U21 hurling semi-finals.

Cork take on Wexford at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny for a place in the decider against Galway or Tipperary.

Throw-in is at 4pm and we’ll keep you updated here throughout the game.

11-time winners Cork are bidding to reach an All-Ireland final at this grade for the first time since 1998.

Wexford, whose only title came in 1965, were beaten finalists in both 2014 and ’15.

We’ll bring you the teams shortly.

Cork

1. Ger Collins (Ballinhassig)

2. David Lowney (Clonakilty)
3. Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neill’s)
4. Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons)

5. Eoghan Murphy (Sarsfields)
6. Mark Coleman (Blarney)
7. Billy Hennessy (St Finbarr’s)

18. John Cashman (Blackrock)
9. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville)

10. Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own)
11. Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills)
12. Shane Kingston (Douglas — captain)

13. Liam Healy (Sarsfields)
14. Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum)
15. Jack O’Connor (Sarsfields)

Wexford

1. Jack Cushe (Naomh Eanna)

2. Shane Reck (Olygate-Glenbrien)
3. Darren Byrne (Blackwater)
4. Conor Firman (St Martin’s — captain)

5. Aaron Maddock (St Martin’s)
6. Damien Reck (Oylgate-Glenbrien)
7. Ian Carthy (Taghmon-Camross)

8. Garry Moloy (Naomh Eanna)
9. Rowan White (Glynn-Barntown)

10. Oisin Foley (Crossabeg-Ballymurn)
11. Eoin Molloy (Naomh Eanna)
12. Liam Stafford (Adamstown)

13. Mikie Dwyer (Fethard)
14. Rory Higgins (Rathnure)
15. Seamus Casey (Olygate-Glenbrien)

Cork 0-0 Wexford 0-0

The game is underway.

Cork 0-0 Wexford 0-0

Damien Reck with the first effort on goal but the Wexford man puts it wide.

Cork 0-0 Wexford 0-0

Liam Healy is also off target with Cork’s first shot.

Cork 0-0 Wexford 0-1

Seamus Casey gives Wexford the lead with a free.

Cork 0-1 Wexford 0-1

Tim O’Mahony does well to win a free for Cork and Declan Dalton slots it over from close range.

Cork 0-1 Wexford 0-2

Lovely pass from Seamus Casey sets up Aaron Maddock to put Wexford back in front.

GOAL! Cork 1-1 Wexford 0-2 (Tim O’Mahony, 6)

Cork 1-2 Wexford 0-2

Great goal from O’Mahony as he wins the ball on the right, cuts inside, sees his first shot brilliantly saved by Jack Cushe before firing in the round.

Dalton increases the lead with a free.

GOAL! Cork 2-2 Wexford 0-2 (Tim O’Mahony, 9)

Cork 2-3 Wexford 0-3

O’Mahony gets his second goal after reacting quickest when Fitzgibbon’s shot was saved.

Maddock responds with another fine point for Wexford before Dalton gets his third free for Cork.

Cork 2-4 Wexford 0-3

Another one for Dalton, this time a superb strike from play.

Cork 2-4 Wexford 0-4

Seamus Casey converts a free to bring the gap back to six.

Cork 2-5 Wexford 0-4

Fantastic score from wide on the right by Cork senior star Shane Kingston.

Cork 2-6 Wexford 0-5

Excellent corner-forward play by Jack O’Connor and Cork pull further ahead, but Seamus Casey hits back with a sublime sideline cut.

Cork 2-6 Wexford 0-5

Casey aims to get another one for Wexford with a straightforward free by his standards but surprisingly he puts it narrowly wide.

Tim O'Mahony gets a second goal for Cork! pic.twitter.com/0DfuI4H5Gr

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 4, 2018

Tim O'Mahony with the opening goal for the Cork u21s! pic.twitter.com/VJb68lnLCw

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 4, 2018

Cork 2-7 Wexford 0-5

Second of the day for Kingston.

Cork 2-7 Wexford 0-5

Dalton has a go from a free from 55 metres out, wide on the right, but it drifts away from the target.

Cork 2-8 Wexford 0-5

Outstanding score by Jack O’Connor from out on the left sideline.

Cork 2-8 Wexford 0-6

Again it’s Seamus Casey who responds for Wexford, hitting a wonderful score from the left wing.

Wexford's Seamus Casey sticks it over the bar from the sideline! pic.twitter.com/J2DXQo5NzN

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 4, 2018

Cork 2-9 Wexford 0-7

Dalton extends Cork’s lead with a free before Wexford hit back through Damien Reck.

Cork 2-10 Wexford 0-7

Again it’s Dalton who puts Cork further ahead from a placed-ball.

Cork 2-10 Wexford 0-7

Stephen O’Gorman replaces Shane Reck for Wexford.

Cork 2-12 Wexford 0-8

Liam Healy capitalises on a mistake from Wexford goalkeeper Jack Cushe to score a point, with Tim O’Mahony following up with another.

Rowan White gets one back for Wexford.

Cork 2-12 Wexford 0-8

Damien Reck strikes a free for Wexford from inside his own half but it drifts wide.

Cork 2-13 Wexford 0-9

Casey slots over another free for Wexford but Jack O’Connor scores again for the Rebels moments later.

Cork 2-13 Wexford 0-9

A couple of disappointing wides for Wexford and one for Cork just before the break. Two minutes being added on.

Cork 2-14 Wexford 0-9

A Dalton free on the stroke of half-time for Cork leaves them 11 points ahead.

Half-time: Cork 2-14 Wexford 0-9

Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO

First-half scorers

Cork: D Dalton 0-7, T O’Mahony 2-1, J O’Connor 0-3, S Kingston 0-2, L Healy 0-1.

Wexford: S Casey 0-5, A Maddock 0-2, D Reck and R White 0-1 each.

Half-time here in Nowlan Park and Cork are leading 2-14 to Wexford's 0-9.
Check out the half-time highlights here! pic.twitter.com/MfFIlAr8f3

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 4, 2018

The teams are back out on the pitch. Wexford have a mountain to climb.

Can they do it? Stick with us to find out over the next half an hour or so.

Cork 2-14 Wexford 0-9

The game has resumed.

Cork 2-15 Wexford 0-9

Goal chance for a hat-trick for Tim O’Mahony but he fails to gather Liam Healy’s pass. Early let-off for Wexford.

Shane Kingston follows up with a point instead moments later.

Cork 2-15 Wexford 0-9

Two half-time changes for Wexford: Darren Codd and Conor Hearne replace Oisin Foley and Liam Stafford.

Cork 2-15 Wexford 0-9 

Good chance for a point for Wexford’s Rowan White but he misses the target. Seconds later Liam Healy hits a wide for Cork.

Cork 2-16 Wexford 0-9 

Dalton throws a lovely dummy and slots over his eighth point of the day, followed by a John Cashman wide.

Cork 2-17 Wexford 0-10

Brilliant link-up play between Cork senior players Coleman and Kingston, who points for the Rebels.

Conor Cahalane replaces Ger Millerick on the Cork team.

Damien Reck with a nice long-range score for Wexford.

Cork 2-17 Wexford 0-10

Robbie O’Flynn looks for his first score for Cork but it tails off wide.

GOAL! Cork 3-17 Wexford 0-10 (Liam Healy, 39)

Cork 3-17 Wexford 0-10

Fantastic goal for Cork, Tim O’Mahony heavily involved again as he cleverly scoops the ball over two Wexford backs for Healy to finish emphatically.

This game is surely beyond Wexford now as Eoin Kelly replaces Rory Higgins.

Cork 3-17 Wexford 0-11

Lovely score by Seamus Casey for Wexford.

Cork 3-19 Wexford 0-11

Jody Donohoe replaces the injured Darren Byrne for Wexford, before Jack O’Connor and Conor Cahalane increase Cork’s lead.

Concern for Cork as Declan Dalton goes down injured. He’ll be replaced by Aaron Myers.

Liam Healy with @OfficialCorkGAA's third goal! pic.twitter.com/R7mpRpwcQN

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 4, 2018

Cork 3-19 Wexford 0-11

The game still being held up over that injury to Declan Dalton. Looks like a knee problem.

Cork 3-19 Wexford 0-12

The game resumes after Dalton is stretchered off.

Conor Hearne scores from a tight angle on the left for Wexford.

Cork 3-19 Wexford 0-12

Daire Connery replaces Darragh Fitzgibbon for Cork as Casey uncharacteristically misses a free for Wexford.

Cork 3-20 Wexford 0-12

With Dalton off the field, Cork’s free-taking duties pass to Aaron Myers and he makes no mistake from out on the right.

Cork 3-21 Wexford 0-12

Tim O’Mahony with a brilliant point for Cork before Chris O’Leary comes on in place of Shane Kingston.

Cork 3-22 Wexford 0-12

Conor Cahalane increases Cork’s lead.

Conor O’Callaghan is introduced for Mark Coleman.

Seven minutes to be added on, mostly due to that injury to Declan Dalton/

Cork 3-23 Wexford 0-12

Cahalane gets another one for Cork, followed by a Daire Connery wide.

Cork 3-25 Wexford 0-12

Cahalane again. We make it four points for the Barrs man since he came on.

Chris O’Leary then gets in on the act.

Cork 3-25 Wexford 0-13

Rowan White points for Wexford.

Cork 3-26 Wexford 0-13

Close-range free for Cork converted by Aaron Myers.

Full-time: Cork 3-26 Wexford 0-13

Emphatic victory for Cork against a Wexford side who were hampered by the absences of a couple of key players.

Nevertheless, the Rebels are in an All-Ireland U21 hurling final for the first time since 1998. They’ll face the winners of Wednesday’s semi-final between Galway and Tipperary.