John Hetherton, Dublin, and Cian Molloy, Wexford, in Leinster SHC action. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round Two
Dublin 3-26 Wexford 4-19
By Paul Keane at Parnell Park
Another powerful Parnell Park performance from Dublin and a Leinster SHC win to potentially kick-start something truly special in the Niall O Ceallachain era.
A week after coming from three points down to defeat Offaly at the Donnycarney venue, Dublin did the same again to record back-to-back defeats and claim, temporarily at least, top spot in the Leinster SHC group.
Dublin were three behind this time with around 20 minutes to play when Sean Currie tied it up with a goal from a penalty and John Hetherton then blasted to the net twice in the 50th and 52nd minutes.
Hetherton finished with 2-3 and was named Man of the Match as the man from the nearby St Vincent's club produced perhaps his best display yet in a Dublin jersey.
O Ceallachain can take plenty of credit for recalling Hetherton who impressed as a sub last weekend against Offaly. Currie was excellent too, finishing with 1-11 while late points from Conor Donohoe and the influential Darragh Power helped turn the screw.
Wexford captain Lee Chin pulled a late, late goal back for Wexford, their fourth of the afternoon in front of 7,734, but it was only consolation at that stage.
Rory O'Connor, Cathal Dunbar and Cian Byrne grabbed the other Wexford goals but they were powerless to prevent Dublin's second-half surge.
The win gives Dublin a great chance of at least a top-three finish to advance to the All-Ireland series. They will head to Antrim on May 10 while Wexford will attempt to pick up the pieces on the same date when they journey to Pearse Stadium to play Galway.
Dublin were installed as considerable underdogs beforehand and, perhaps eager to make a point, dominated the opening quarter, opening up a 0-9 to 1-2 lead.
O Ceallachain made three changes in all to his lineup, recalling not just Hetherton but Ronan Hayes and Power in attack.
Hetherton's height and power close to goal, allied to the running game that Dublin like to play, gave the hosts a nice balance to their attack.
Paddy Dunleavy, for instance, struck a point after a ball won in Dublin's own full-back line was carefully worked up the pitch with a series of precise passes.
But when they needed to go route one and bomb it in, Hetherton was also there as a constant outlet and scored three points in the first 18 minutes.
He also won a high ball that he laid off to Hayes, the goalscoring hero against Offaly last weekend, to nick a point.
The problem for Dublin was that they conceded a goal against the run of play, when Rory O'Connor careered through the middle of Dublin's defence in the fourth minute.
That kept the visitors just about in the game until they finally got going in the second quarter.
And when they got going they punished Dublin with a series of well taken points from Richie Lawlor, Conor Hearne and Kevin Foley before Cian Byrne nabbed a second goal.
Charlie McGuckin initially looked to have wasted a hand-pass but somehow got the sliotar back and made amends with a brilliant pass over the top to Byrne who was unmarked on the right.
The sides were level three times approaching half-time but Hearne, Chin and Cathal Dunbar scores left Wexford 2-11 to 0-16 up at half-time.
Skipper Chin gave Wexford fans a fright when he went off for treatment after a big hit but resumed shortly after. Meanwhile, Dublin captain Chris Crummey needed treatment for a calf injury.
A game simmering with potential came to boiling point in a thrilling second-half.
The sides were level three more times until Wexford grabbed the initiative with a third goal in the 47th minute from Dunbar.
Their three-point lead didn't last long though as Currie struck Dublin's first goal three minutes later, levelling it for the seventh time. Wexford queried if the ball had crossed the line when Currie's penalty was blocked by the goalkeeper but referee Michael Kennedy was happy to award the goal.
Hetherton then took centre stage, latching onto a brilliant Power pass over the top for his first goal before turning sharply in the 54th minute and rifling another.
Suddenly, Dublin were four points ahead, 3-20 to 3-16, and they stretched the gap to six late on before Chin blasted in a stoppage time goal from a free.
Scorers for Dublin: Sean Currie 1-11 (1-0 pen, 8fs), John Hetherton 2-3, Cian O'Sullivan 0-3, Brian Hayes 0-2, Darragh Power 0-2, Ronan Hayes 0-1, Paddy Dunleavy 0-1, Chris Crummey 0-1, Conor Donohoe 0-1, Colin Currie 0-1.
Scorers for Wexford: Lee Chin 1-7 (1-5fs), Rory O'Connor 1-2, Cathal Dunbar 1-1, Cian Byrne 1-1, Kevin Foley 0-2, Conor Hearne 0-2, Simon Donohoe 0-2, Richie Lawlor 0-1, Damien Reck 0-1.
Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; Andrew Dunphy, Paddy Smyth, John Bellew; Paddy Doyle, Paddy Dunleavy, Chris Crummey; Conor Burke, Conor Donohoe; Brian Hayes, Cian O'Sullivan, Darragh Power; Sean Currie, John Hetherton, Ronan Hayes.
Subs: Colin Currie for Ronan Hayes 59, Conor McHugh for Dunphy 63, Rian McBride for Brian Hayes 69.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Conor Foley, Cian Molloy, Shane Reck; Charlie McGuckin, Damien Reck, Eoin Ryan; Simon Donohoe, Conor Hearne; Richie Lawlor, Rory O'Connor, Cathal Dunbar; Cian Byrne, Lee Chin, Kevin Foley.
Subs: Seamus Casey for Chin (35-38), Casey for Chin (42-43), Liam Ryan for Conor Foley 57, Casey for Lawlor 58, Simon Roche for Donohoe 67, Corey Byrne Dunbar for Byrne 74.
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
