Senior footballers ride their luck to capture provincial title
DUBLIN 2-12 WEXFORD 1-12
Dublin cashed in a few of their lucky charms before escaping from Croke Park as 2011 Leinster senior football champions after a lacklustre display.
The Dubs went 22 minutes of the game without scoring between the 24th and 46th minute and a Redmond Barry goal in the 44th minute, which put the Slaneysiders 1-7 to 0-7 in front, had Dublin uo against the ropes.
Good fortune came Dublin’s way in the 51st minute when Tomas Quinn’s attempted ball over the top to Bernard Brogan was punched by Wexford keeper, Anthony Masterson, off his own full-back Graeme Molloy and the ball flew into the net to catapult Dublin back in front.
Five minutes later James McCarthy threw off his defensive shackle to accelerate through the Wexford cover and clinically despatch a superb shot to the roof of the Wexford net – 2-10 to 1-8.
Yet Dublin failed to dampen the Wexford challenge with Colm Morris naievely standing in the square before he poked a Redmond Barry centre to the net, which was correctly rules out for square ball and the Dubs also had Stephen Cluxton to thank for denying Paddy Byrne from close range in the 68th minute.
Dublin led 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time with Wexford concluding the half with points from Adrian Flynn and two Ben Brosnan placed balls.
SCORERS – Dublin: A Brogan, B Brogan (0-1f) 0-3 each, J McCarthy 1-0, G Molloy (Wexford) own goal, S Cluxton (0-1 ‘45’), D Bastick, P Flynn, B Cullen, R McConnell, K McManamon 0-1 each. Wexford: B Brosnan 0-9 (0-5f, 0-2 ‘45’), R Barry 1-0, C Lyng 0-2, A Flynn 0-1.
DUBLIN – S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, Rory O’Carroll, P Conlon; J McCarthy, G Brennan, K Nolan; D Bastick, E Fennell; P Flynn, A Brogan, B Cullen; B Brogan, D Connolly, E O’Gara. Subs: T Quinn for Connolly (31), K McManamon for O’Gara (ht), B Cahill for Fennell (52), D Henry for B Brogan (61), R McConnell for Quinn (69)
WEXFORD – A Masterson; B Malone, J Wadding, G Molloy; D Murphy, A Flynn, A Doyle; D Waters, R Quinlivan; E Bradley, B Brosnan, C Morris; C Lyng, R Barry, S Roche. Subs: PJ Banville for Roche (41), A Morrissey for Doyle (54), P Byrne for Morris (63), L McGovern for Quinlivan (65).
REF – J McQuillan (Cavan).
ATTENDANCE: 43,983.
