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Paul Keane reports from Parnell Park
BACK IN THE team and back amongst the goal-scorers, big John Hetherton proved the difference as Dublin scored a significant Leinster SHC win at Parnell Park.
The powerful full-forward impressed as a sub in last weekend’s Round 1 defeat of Offaly and got his chance from the start this time, grabbing the opportunity with both hands and returning a match-winning 2-3.
Dublin were three behind with almost 20 minutes to play when Sean Currie tied it up with a goal from a penalty and Hetherton then blasted to the net twice in the 50th and 52nd minutes.
Currie finished with 1-11 and tagged on more late points to set the seal on back-to-back wins for Dublin and top spot in the table, for a while at least.
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 Darragh 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.
Hetherton then took centre stage, latching onto a brilliant Darragh 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.
Dublin scorers: Sean Currie 1-11 (0-8f, 1-0 pen), 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.
Wexford scorers: Lee Chin 1-7 (1-5f), 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
1. Eddie Gibbons (Kilmacud Crokes)
4. Andrew Dunphy (St Brigid’s), 3. Paddy Smyth (Clontarf), 2. John Bellew (Lucan Sarsfields)
5. Paddy Doyle (Naomh Barrog), 7. Paddy Dunleavy (Ballyboden St Enda’s), 6. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields – Captain)
8. Conor Burke (St Vincent’s), 9. Conor Donohoe (Erin’s Ilse)
10. Brian Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes), 14. Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s), 12. Darragh Power (Fingallians)
13. Sean Currie (Na Fianna), 20. John Hetherton (St Vincent’s), 11. Ronan Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes)
SUBS
WEXFORD
1. Mark Fanning (Glynn-Barntown)
4. Conor Foley (Horeswood), 5. Cian Molloy (Naomh Eanna), 26. Shane Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien)
7. Charie McGuckin (Naomh Eanna), 6. Damien Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien), 2. Eoin Ryan (St Annes)
3. Simon Donohoe (Shelmaliers), 8. Conor Hearne (Shelmaliers)
9. Richie Lawlor (Faythe Harriers), 11. Rory O’Connor (St Martin’s), 13. Cathal Dunbar (Naomh Eanna)
15. Cian Byrne (St Mogue’s, Fethard), 14. Lee Chin (Faythe Harriers – Captain), 12. Kevin Foley (Rapparees)
SUBS
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
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Written by Paul Keane and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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