Wexford deny Kilkenny perfect qualifying run

RTÉ News​

25-05-2025

Wexford picked up the pieces to deny Kilkenny a perfect run through qualifying as Rory O'Connor and Lee Chin goals nailed the home spoils in Sunday's concluding Leinster Senior hurling championship round-robin derby duel at Chadwicks Wexford Park.
Indeed, despite Kilkenny fielding a rather experimental formation, they were desperately unlucky with a bunch of goaling opportunities, although Wexford quickly established a solid foundation to derive a consolation victory as their summer campaign reaches an early finish.
Indeed, the home-side availed of first advantage of the strong wind to generate a 0-12 to 0-04 half-time lead - although Fionán Mackessy was desperately unfortunate to squander a gilt-edged goal chance for Kilkenny – and a early second-half Rory O'Connor goal paved the way for purple and gold celebrations amongst the 4,623 in attendance.
In a game of little relevance, most intrigue circulated around usual Kilkenny gunslinger Adrian Mullen's siting at centre-back, as his management continue to try to discover a remedy
And with Wexford allowing centre-forward Chin to roam, it gave Mullen the licence to affect certain situations in a composed outing but one which hardly provided a solid answer to their unease with that position.
The neighbours shared six points inside the first eleven minutes, before Mikie Dwyer, Simon Donohoe – the latter from his own half – and Lee Chin (free) drove Wexford 0-06 to 0-03 clear after 16 minutes.
While Cian Kenny pegged the gap back to two with his second personal contribution, four Chin scores (three frees) widened Wexford's advantage after 27 minutes (0-10 to 0-04).
But the home-side suffered the setback of losing the defensive intelligence of Damien Reck through injury on 29 minutes after he got a leg between Owen Wall's attempted drive on goal in Wall's seasonal debut for the Cats.
And the Wexford goal enjoyed a massive let off moments later when Mackessy soared through onto a Luke Connellan delivery only to unbelievably send the goaling opportunity wide.
Chin (free) and midfielder Conor Hearne capitalised further, meanwhile, as Wexford emerged from a rather tepid first half with a seven-point buffer (0-12 to 0-05) after Connellan had ended a 21-minute Kilkenny scoring drought with a score three minutes into added-time.
Wexford made every effort to consolidate their position when O'Connor responded to a pointed free from TJ Reid by blasting the net on 38 minutes after fetching Conor Foley's angled delivery into the right corner over Tommy Walsh's head and bursting through.
However, while two further Chin frees stretched the hosts ahead by 1-14 to 0-07, Kilkenny twice threatened the Wexford net eleven minutes into the closing-half.
Firstly, a line-ball from Killian Doyle found TJ Reid in a central position from which he offloaded for Mackessy, only for the Kerry-man to again strike wide.
But play was pulled back for a free – and Reid saw his powerful strike blocked, before Connellan prospered from the rebound to cut the gap to 1-14 to 0-08 after 46 minutes.
Kilkenny were by now seeking to bolster their attack as boss Derek Lyng summoned Stephen Donnelly and Gearoid Dunne from the bench.
Mullen chipped in from distance for Kilkenny before they suffered their latest close miss in front of goal – and this being the narrowest, as Wexford defender Eoin Ryan only just swept off the goal-line at the expense of a pointed '65 after Donnelly had tipped a long delivery towards the net.
Wexford ended their own mundane second half in explosive fashion, as substitute Conor McDonald bisected the uprights, before his cross found Chin for a thunderous finish to the net and a 2-17 to 0-11 gap on 60 minutes.
Kilkenny's frustrations around goal continued as sub Gearoid Dunne was foiled before Reid saw another effort direct from a free kept out by Niall Murphy for a '65 from which Reid garnered some satisfaction to pare the deficit down to 2-18 to 0-12.
The Noresiders eventually found some goal delight 73 seconds into injury-time when Reid deftly flicked home substitute Niall Shortall's neat assist for a consolation blow as the experimentation ends for Kilkenny ahead of the Leinster decider against Galway.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Eoin Ryan. Simon Donohoe (0-01), Conor Foley; Cian Molloy, Damien Reck, Darragh Carley; Conor Hearne (0-01), Corey Byrne-Dunbar; Jack O'Connor (0-01), Lee Chin (1-13, 9f), Rory O'Connor (1-01); Cian Byrne, Mikie Dwyer (0-01), Kevin Foley.
Subs: Cathal Dunbar for Byrne, temp. (19-10'), Niall Murphy for Reck (29'), Dunbar for Dwyer (50'), Conor McDonald (0-01) for Byrne (55'), Darren Codd for J O'Connor (67'), Charlie McGuckin for Molloy (69').
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Peter Connellan, Pádraic Moylan, Tommy Walsh; David Blanchfield, Adrian Mullen (0-01), Zach Bay Hammond; Killian Doyle (0-01), Peter McDonald; Luke Connellan (0-02), Cian Kenny (0-03), Fionán Mackessy (0-01); Billy Drennan (0-01), TJ Reid (1-04, 1f, 2 '65s), Owen Wall.
Subs: Stephen Donnelly (0-01) for McDonald (44'), Gearoid Dunne for Wall (49'), Richie Reid (0-01) for Bay Hammond (59'), Niall Shortall for Drennan (66''), Shane Staunton for Mullen (68').