Wexford v Dublin

Leinster SFC final

Dublin v Wexford, Croke Park, 4.00pm

It’s almost absurd that Paul Caffrey stands on the brink of leading Dublin to their fourth Leinster title in a row and yet his stint as the Metropolitans’ manager still carries the scent of failure.

The fact that Leinster is considered a weak province these days has played its part, but the failure to even make an All-Ireland final is the big millstone around this team’s neck.

With the Championship seemingly wide open this year, it is as good a chance as the Jacks have had to add to their 22 All-Ireland titles. First things first, though, and Wexford pose a serious threat to the Dubs’ hopes of completing four consecutive provincial crowns for the first time since 1995.

Colin Moran is now available after the Disputes Resolution Authority of the GAA overturned the four-week ban he received for an incident with Dermot Bannon during the county's semi-final win over Westmeath.

Dublin manager Paul Caffrey had already named his starting line-up, with debutant Kevin Nolan named ahead of Moran, but it is unclear whether this morning's news will alter the line. Either way it is a welcome dilemma for the Dublin boss.

Dublin took a lot of flak for their narrow win over Westmeath, but the ability to win ‘ugly’ is essential in the modern game and no doubt Caffrey and his selection team took a lot of positives from the scrappy victory.

Ciarán Whelan comes back into midfield, which is harsh on Eamonn Fennell who fared well against both Louth and the Lakesmen. The inclusion of Kevin Bonner at wing-forward is a strange one, as he has never really made the breakthrough at this level, despite a number of years on the panel.

Likewise, the decision to bring Kilmacud Crokes’ Paul Griffin back into the defence after his time in Australia would suggest that Caffrey is already looking past this fixture, which is a dangerous policy.

Wexford have had an excellent year so far under Jason Ryan, landing the NFL Division 3 title before seeing off Meath and Laois to reach this point.

Their comeback against Meath was astounding, but far from plaudits for a first round victory, the Model men really need a Leinster title to prove that they can compete with the country’s elite.

For too long they were happy for Matty Forde to carry the burden on the scoring front, but the likes of PJ Banville, Ciarán Lyng and Redmond Barry have stepped up to the plate for the Slaneysiders this summer.

Wing-back Adrian Morrissey was awarded the man-of-the-match award against Laois, but Barry had as much of a claim to the award as he orchestrated the Wexford attack from the ’40.

Dublin centre-back Bryan Cullen is not noted for his pace, and the Skerries Harps man will need to stifle Barry if the Dubs are going to keep their opponents’ score down.

A lot is made of the ‘advantage’ Dublin get from playing at Croke Park, but sides can get as much of a boost from silencing the Hill as Dublin do from bringing it alive.

The way they have been playing lately, Wexford have every chance of ensuring a disappointing afternoon for those at the Railway End.

Verdict: Wexford