Sport

Kelleher gets start he wanted

Dublin 0-16 Wexford 0-10: Walsh Cup: Humphrey Kelleher made his competitive debut a winning one as holders Dublin handed Wexford…

Mon Jan 26 2004 - 00:00

Dublin 0-16 Wexford 0-10:Walsh Cup: Humphrey Kelleher made his competitive debut a winning one as holders Dublin handed Wexford a six-point drubbing in their Walsh Cup senior hurling quarter-final clash at Piercestown yesterday.

While it was also a day to remember for Conal Keaney who conjured up six unanswered points in a five-minute second half spell, it was a day to forget for home manager John Conran as his charges made a first-round exit for the second successive year.

It was only when Keaney stepped up his game that the alarm bells must have started - the centre forward suddenly burst into the game and between the 43rd and 48th minutes he struck three points from play and converted three from frees, all unanswered, to push his side into a 0-14 to 0-8 lead.

With the Dublin defence never going to leak a goal there was no way back for Wexford, who were simply woeful through the closing quarter.

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In the first half Wexford didn't take long to get into their stride as Tomás Mahon, Barry Goff and Paul Carley, from a free, all pointed. Liam Ryan came steaming into the game to open the Dublin account with a neat 13th-minute point, and they were on level terms after further points from Michael Carton and Marcus Breathnach.

Breathnach, a late inclusion at full forward, followed up with two further points which helped Dublin to a 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Wexford started the second half strongly, with points from Chris McGrath, Paul Carley and Mahon bringing the sides level at 0-8 apiece, before Keaney's match-winning intervention.

"It was a first game and we struggled at the start but the lads played particularly well in the second half," said Kelleher. "It gives us something to build on in preparation for the league."

DUBLIN: B McLoughlin; K Elliot, S Perkins, D Spain; D O'Reilly, S Hiney, K Ryan; C Keaney (0-6, 3 frees), R Fallon; M Carton (0-1), L Ryan (0-2), D Sweeney (0-1); S Martin (0-2), M Breathnach (0-3), K Flynn (0-1). Subs: A Glennon for Martin, F Chambers for Flynn, C O'Brien for Elliot, S Daly for Spain.

WEXFORD: J Morrissey; C Kehoe, D O'Connor, M Travers; K Rossiter, D Ruth, M O'Leary; T Mahon (0-2), B Goff (0-1); P Carley (0-4, 2 frees), D Berry, M Jacob; C McGrath (0-1), R Codd, R Jacob (0-1). Subs: A O'Connell for O'Connor; L Murphy (0-1) for Berry.

Referee: P Dunphy (Kilkenny).