Evening all and welcome along to our coverage of tonight’s Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21 hurling semi-finals in Wexford and Mullingar.
Here’s tonight’s fixtures, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the clash between Kilkenny and Westmeath.
Carlow 0-1 Wexford 0-1
1 mins – Points traded early on by Carlow’s Kevin McDonald and Wexford’s Sam Kelly.
Westmeath 0-1 Kilkenny 0-0
1 mins – And a flying start by Westmeath as Niall Mitchell points after just eight seconds!
Westmeath 0-1 Kilkenny 0-1
3 mins – Fine point by Sean Morrissey to bring Kilkenny level, clever pass back out by Liam Blanchfield to find his Bennettsbridge colleague.
Wexford 0-2 Carlow 0-1
4 mins – Jack O’Connor nudges Wexford into the lead.
Kilkenny 0-3 Westmeath 0-1
5 mins – A free from Alan Murphy and one from play by Blanchfield pushes Kilkenny in front.
Kilkenny 0-4 Westmeath 0-2
6 mins – That’s an excellent score by Cillian Doyle for Westmeath, then at the other end John Donnelly blasts over when it looked like a goal was on.
Goal for Wexford from Cathal Dunbar!
Wexford 1-2 Carlow 0-3
10 mins – The Ballyragget corner-forward makes a significant contribution as he shoots low to the net for the home side.
Wexford 1-2 Carlow 0-4
11 mins – Carlow not deterred by that goal as Chris Nolan bangs over a point in response.
Kilkenny’s shooting letting them down but they’re still two points to the good in Mullingar with Jason Cleere in dominant form at centre-back.
Kilkenny 0-4 Westmeath 0-3
14 mins – Mitchell is fouled and Killian Doyle pops over the resultant free for Westmeath.
Westmeath 0-4 Kilkenny 0-4
15 mins – And then Doyle weighs in with one from play from 60 yards.
Wexford 1-3 Carlow 0-4
16 mins – Still advantage to the home side at Innovate Wexford Park.
Kilkenny 0-5 Westmeath 0-4
17 mins – Alan Murphy restores Kilkenny’s lead as he converts a free.
Goal for Westmeath against Kilkenny!
Westmeath 1-4 Kilkenny 0-5
18 mins – What a boost for the home side! Niall Mitchell gathered the puckout and transferred it to Shane Clavin who whipped a fierce shot first time that was well blocked by goalkeeper Darren Brennan. But he could do nothing to stop the rebound as it fell perfectly for James Goonery to find the net.
Westmeath 1-4 Kilkenny 0-6
19 mins – Fine point in response for Kilkenny by Pat Lyng, a great individual effort as he cut in from the left wing past challenges.
Kilkenny 1-4 Westmeath 0-7
20 mins – And then Sean Morrissey brings Kilkenny level.
Wexford 1-5 Carlow 0-4
24 mins – A Joe Coleman pointed free leaves Wexford four clear.
Westmeath 1-5 Kilkenny 0-7
26 mins – Clever by Westmeath, a quick sideline by Ciaran Doyle to Niall Mitchell and the ball is despatched between the posts.
Second goal for Wexford!
Wexford 2-5 Carlow 0-5
27 mins – It’s Dunbar again for Wexford and they go six points clear approaching the break.
Westmeath 1-6 Kilkenny 0-8
28 mins – Another marvellous score for Westmeath by Niall Mitchell but Pat Lyngh replies for Kilkenny, profiting from the vision of Liam Blanchfield.
https://twitter.com/TrevorSpillane/status/877600854207062022
Westmeath 1-6 Kilkenny 0-9
32 mins – Another pointed free for Kilkenny from Alan Murphy.
Half-Time:
Westmeath 1-7 Kilkenny 0-9
Wexford 2-6 Carlow 0-5
Darren Mullen and Richie Leahy in for Kilkenny at half-time for Conor Doheny and Shane Walsh.
Westmeath 1-8 Kilkenny 0-10
31 mins – An Alan Murphy free brings Kilkenny level but Westmeath counter immediately through Killian Doyle.
Kilkenny 0-12 Westmeath 1-8
37 mins – Kilkenny hit the front through Richie Leahy and Luke Scanlon.
Wexford 2-10 Carlow 0-5
36 mins – Joe Coleman is in excellent scoring form for Wexford as they surge clear of Carlow.
Westmeath 1-9 Kilkenny 0-12
39 mins – We’re level again as Killian Doyle slots over a free.
Kilkenny 0-13 Westmeath 1-9
41 mins – Alan Murphy taps over a free and Kilkenny go back in front.
Goal chance for Kilkenny as Richie Leahy surges through but the Westmeath goalkeeper does brilliantly to deny Liam Blanchfield and the defence gets back to clear.
Another brilliant bit of goalkeeping by Westmeath netminder Sean Maher who blocks Alan Murphy’s fiercely struck shot.
Kilkenny 0-14 Westmeath 1-9
44 mins – Murphy slots over the resultant ’65 though and Kilkenny go ahead by two.
Conor Foley goal for Carlow!
Wexford 2-11 Carlow 1-8
45 mins – A Foley goal for Carlow gives them hope.
Cathal Dunbar completes hat-trick for Wexford!
Wexford 3-11 Carlow 1-8
45 mins – That should be that as Dunbar hits the net again and Wexford can start looking forward to a Leinster final it seems.
Kilkenny 0-16 Westmeath 1-10
46 mins – Still very much in the balance in Mullingar but John Donnelly has stretched Kilkenny’s lead to three.
Couple chances going astray for Westmeath. They’ve racked up 12 wides now.
Kilkenny 0-17 Westmeath 1-10
50 mins – Kilkenny’s accuracy is spot on as Luke Scanlon picks out Donnelly for another well-taken point.
Kilkenny 0-17 Westmeath 1-11
51 mins – Westmeath needed that as a free from Killian Doyle brings his return for the day to 0-8.
Wexford 3-11 Carlow 1-9
51 mins – Eight in it at Innovate Wexford Park.
Another great save by Sean Maher to deny Kilkenny’s Eoin Kenny from netting!
Kilkenny 0-18 Westmeath 1-11
58 mins – That should be the insurance score for Kilkenny as Murphy knocks over a free.
Wexford 3-15 Carlow 1-11
58 mins – A ten point lead for the home side and it looks like it will be another good night for Wexford hurling.
Goal for Kilkenny by Alan Murphy!
Kilkenny 1-20 Westmeath 1-11
59 mins – And that’s it that. Kilkenny finally hit the net with Alan Murphy raising a green flag to follow up an earlier point. Richie Leahy has just added another. Tough on Westmeath after such a brave effort.
Full-Time: Wexford 3-16 Carlow 1-12
Full-Time: Kilkenny 1-21 Westmeath 1-11
So we’ll have Kilkenny and Wexford in the Leinster U21 hurling final. We’ll be back tomorrow night with coverage of the start of the Munster championship as Limerick take on Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds at 7.30pm. Thanks for joining us this evening.
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