Wexford and Kilkenny will meet in the Leinster U21 hurling final after contrasting 10-point victories over Carlow and Westmeath respectively.
Westmeath 1-11 Kilkenny 1-21
A powerful second half display from Eddie Brennan's Kilkenny was enough to seal their place in the decider after trailing at the interval to a plucky Westmeath side at Cusack Park.
The Lake County were off the mark after just 17 seconds of the contest and both attacks looked dangerous in the early stages, before Carlow corner-forward James Goonery raised the first green flag of the game to give the home side a 1-04 to 0-05 lead with less than 20 minutes on the clock.
It was nip and tuck on the scoreboard as the underdogs led by the bare minimum, 1-07 to 0-09 in Mullingar, with Killian Doyle’s free the final score of the first half.
Hopes of a repeat of last year's shock win, their first ever Championship success over Kilkenny, were soon quelled as the Cats came out for the second half like a side with a point to prove.
Alan Murphy quickly levelled matters and the Cats begin to take a grip on proceedings.
A Doyle free in the 38th minute brought the sides level again, but they would score just two more points before the finish, with an Alan Murphy goal, who finished the game as top scorer with 1-08, putting the gloss on a 10-point victory.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Alan Murphy 1-8 (8fs), John Donnelly 0-3, Sean Morrissey 0-3, Pat Lyng 0-2, Richie Leahy 0-2, Liam Blanchfield 0-1, Luke Scanlon 0-1, Eoin Kenny 0-1.
Scorers for Westmeath: Killian Doyle 0-8 (6fs), James Goonery 1-0, Niall Mitchell 0-3 (1 sideline).
Kilkenny: Darren Brennan; Michael Cody, Conor Delaney, James Burke; Conor Doheny, Jason Cleere, Tommy Walsh; Luke Scanlon, Pat Lyng; Billy Ryan, Sean Morrissey, Alan Murphy; Shane Walsh, John Donnelly, Liam Blanchfield.
Subs: Darren Mullen for Doheny (h/t), Richie Leahy for S Walsh (h/t), Eoin Kenny for Blanchfield (43), Ryan Bergin for Burke (57), Conor Hennessy for Donnelly (61).
Westmeath: Sean Maher; Darren Giles, Conor Shaw, Naoise McKenna; Joe Rabbit, Darragh Eggerton, Sean Quinn; Michael Daly, Shane Clavin; Darragh Clinton, Killian Doyle, Niall Mitchell; Ciaran Doyle, Jack Galvin, James Goonery.
Subs: Darren Finn for Rabbit (46), Johnny Bermingham for Goonery (57), Adam Loughlin for Clinton (61).
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
Best of Luck to our U-21 Hurlers tonight V @Carlow_GAA @gaaleinster @BGEGAA Semi Final @InnovateCloud Wexford Pk throw in 7:30pm pic.twitter.com/vCiY1iRFu5
— Wexford GAA (@OfficialWexGAA) June 21, 2017
Carlow 1-12 Wexford 3-16
Cathal Dunbar was Wexford’s hat-trick hero as they powered past Carlow at Innovate Wexford Park to set up a meeting with rivals Kilkenny in the final.
Carlow began brightly into the stiff breeze and led 0-03 to 0-01 after 10 minutes, before Dunbar struck for his first goal of the night.
A free from Chris Nolan brought Carlow to within three points of the Yellowbellies with half-time approaching, but a second goal from a long puck out put daylight between the sides again, as Wexford retired to the break with a seven-point lead, 2-06 to 0-05.
The home side showed no let up after the interval, reeling off the first four points despite playing into the breeze.
A goal 11 minutes into the half brought the gap back to seven points, but the home side were never really in danger of coughing up their lead and Dunbar struck for his, and Wexford’s third, with a solo run from midfield.
The final will be a repeat of the line-up in 2015, which Wexford won comfortably, as former Kilkenny star Brennan chases a first Leinster success for the county since 2012.
