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Cats In Control: Attacker Ger Aylward was one of a number of impressive players in the Kilkenny U21 side tonight. INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Kilkenny v Wexford, Leinster U21HC semi-final

Wexford went in search of a place in the Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21HC final tonight. Standing in their way was a Kilkenny team making their seasonal debut in this semi-final clash. Here’s how it unfolded.

We went minute-by-minute as Kilkenny aimed to avenge last year’s Leinster U21 championship defeat against Wexford in tonight’s semi-final in Nowlan Park. Get stuck in by commenting below, on our Facebook page or tweet us @TheScore_ie or @TheScoreGAA

Kilkenny have been dealt a pre-match blow with the loss of Cillian Buckley, who has impressed for Brian Cody’s senior side this spring, due to a hamstring injury. He is replaced at left half-forward by John Power, younger brother of senior star Richie, who has caught the eye in recent years at minor level for Kilkenny and at colleges level for St Kieran’s.

Wexford have also shuffled their deck before throw-in. John Leacy and Liam Og McGovern are set to start in their team.

Wexford 0-1 Kilkenny 0-0. We’re up and running in Nowlan Park. Wexford register the game’s opening score with centre-forward Michael O’Regan lofting over a point from distance. In Dr Cullen Park, Carlow have made a brilliant start as they lead 0-4 to 0-0 against Laois early on.

Wexford 0-3 Kilkenny 0-0. Wexford continue to set the pace with corner-forward Barry Carton pointing from close-range and wing-forward Gary Moore then splitting the posts for his first score of the game. Kilkenny are struggling to win primary possession around the middle so far.

Wexford 0-4 Kilkenny 0-0. Michael O’Regan grabs his second point of the game when he taps over the bar off his left-hand side to stretch Wexford’s lead.

Wexford 1-4 Kilkenny 1-1. A whirlwind few minutes of action. Firstly Kilkenny finally get off the mark on the scoreboard when Kevin Kelly converts a simple free. Yet Wexford respond decisively when Barry Carton bats to the net after Gary Moore’s initial shot is brilliantly saved by Dylan Walsh. Then Kilkenny surge downfield where Walter Walsh blasts a drive to the net past Mark Fanning. But moments later Fanning does superbly to deny Ger Aylward a second Kilkenny goal. 14 minutes gone and Wexford ahead by three points.

Wexford 1-4 Kilkenny 1-2. Kevin Kelly fires over a point from another placed ball to cut Wexford’s advantage to two points after 15 minutes. In the other semi-final clash in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow are in the ascendancy with a 0-7 to 0-4 lead.

Wexford 1-4 Kilkenny 1-4. The accuracy of Kevin Kelly has brought Kilkenny back into this game. He converts two frees after firstly senior defender Richie Doyle is fouled and then attacker John Power is hauled back. It’s all square after 19 minutes.

Kilkenny 2-5 Wexford 1-4. The match has been turned on its head. Firstly John Power bounds onto a loose ball, sprints in from the left wing and cleverly finishes to the net for his team’s second goal. Ger Aylward follows that up with a neat point to send Kilkenny clear by four points after 20 minutes.

Kilkenny 2-7 Wexford 1-4. Midfielder Geoff Brennan stretches Kilkenny’s lead further with a stylish score and that’s followed by a similar score by Padraig Walsh. That’s 1-6 without reply now for Kilkenny. At the other end Wexford are finding scores hard to come by as they strike three wides. Six minutes left until half-time.

Kilkenny 2-8 Wexford 1-4. John Power pounces to raise a white flag after a poor Wexford clearance in the 26th minute. Elsewhere Laois lead 0-9 to 0-7 against Carlow in tonight’s other Leinster U21HC semi-final.

Kilkenny 2-9 Wexford 1-5. Major setback for Wexford. They are awarded a penalty after a foul by Willie Phelan but Jack Guiney’s subsequent drive is stopped on the line by Kilkenny defender Richie Doyle. From the following attack they do win a free which Guiney converts but that is cancelled out at the other end by a Ger Aylward point.

Half-time: Kilkenny 2-9 Wexford 1-5. Kilkenny enjoy a commanding seven-point lead at the interval. Wexford started brightly and lead by 1-4 to 0-1 at one juncture. But Kilkenny have taken over proceedings since then with Richie Doyle, Ger Aylward, John Power and Kevin Kelly all in excellent form. In contrast Wexford are finding scores difficult to come by and have been guilty of some poor shooting.

The other Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21HC semi-final clash tonight is a closer affair in Dr Cullen Park. Laois lead 0-9 to 0-8 at half-time with a place in the final on July 11th on offer to the winners.

Here are the first-half scores from the clash in Nowlan Park.

Kilkenny: John Power 1-1, Kevin Kelly 0-4 (0-4f), Walter Walsh 1-0, Ger Aylward 0-2, Geoff Brennan, Padraig Walsh 0-1 each.

Wexford: Barry Carton 1-1, Michael O’Regan 0-2, Jack Guiney (0-1f), Gary Moore 0-1 each.

Wexford made the first substitution of the game just before half-time with Shane O’Gorman introduced for Mark Moloney.

The latest from the match between Carlow and Laois in the other Leinster U21HC semi-final is 0-11 to 0-10 in favour of Laois early in the second-half. The teams are back out in Nowlan Park and the second-half is about to get underway.

Kilkenny 3-9 Wexford 1-5. A dream start to the second-half for Kilkenny as Walter Walsh finds the net after only 16 seconds when he does brilliantly to fire to the bottom corner of the net under pressure. That’s the second goal of the game for the Tullogher-Rosbercon man. Wexford now trail by ten points.

Kilkenny 3-11 Wexford 1-5. Kilkenny are firmly in control now. The second-half is five minutes old and they’ve stretched their lead to 12 points. Padraig Walsh, younger brother of senior star Tommy, and Walter Walsh have both struck points.

Kilkenny 3-13 Wexford 1-5. Wexford’s fortunes are deteriorating rapidly. They have just been reduced to 14 men after corner-back Willie Devereux is shown a second yellow card after committing a foul. Kevin Kelly converts the resultant free and then adds another point from play. There’s still 23 minutes left to play but with a 14-point lead it’s difficult to see Kilkenny slipping up now.

Kilkenny 3-13 Wexford 2-5. A badly needed boost for Wexford in the 39th minute. A stray handpass by Kilkenny full-back Willie Phelan is seized on by Michael O’Regan who charges forward and lashes a shot low to the net. Substitution on the Wexford side as well as Kevin Nimmo is drafted into the defence for Alan Nolan.

Another change by Wexford as Ian Byrne comes into the attack for Barry Carton.

Kilkenny 3-15 Wexford 2-5. Kevin Kelly has been excellent in the Kilkenny attack tonight. He’s just fired over his seventh point of the game, the latest effort from a free after he was fouled himself. Richie Mulrooney has made Kilkenny’s first substitution of the game by bringing on Martin Gaffney for Cathal Kenny. And the Dicksboro youngster makes an immediate impression by registering a point. We’re entering the last quarter and Kilkenny are in control with a 13-point lead.

Kilkenny 3-18 Wexford 2-5. It’s one-way traffic at this stage. A point by Ger Aylward and a brace from Kevin Kelly, one from a free and one from play, stretches Kilkenny’s lead further. Wexford shake things up again by bringing in Barry O’Gorman for Aidan Nolan but this game looks to be beyond them with 12 minutes of normal-time remaining.

Kilkenny 3-19 Wexford 3-5. A consolation effort for Wexford as Jack Guiney smashes a 20-yard free to the net after substitute Shane O’Gorman is fouled. Kilkenny attacker Kevin Kelly is drafted ashore with Paul Buggy being introduced and another substitute Martin Gaffney hits his second point of the game. Kelly can be pleased with his efforts tonight after striking 0-9 in all.

Kilkenny 3-19 Wexford 4-5. For the seventh time tonight, a green flag has been raised. Again Jack Guiney finds the net and again it arrives from a 20-yard free. 11 points now separate the sides with just over three minutes of normal time left.

It’s all over in the other Leinster U21HC semi-final tonight and Laois have enjoyed a successful trip to Dr Cullen Park. They’ve narrowly prevailed by 0-15 to 0-14 against Carlow and will contest the final on July 11th. It looks certain that it will be Kilkenny that they will be facing.

Kilkenny 3-19 Wexford 4-6. A consolation late point for Wexford with substitute Ian Byrne on target.

Full-time: Kilkenny 3-20 Wexford 4-6. Substitute Martin Gaffney concludes this contest by registering his third point of the game and he will challenge strongly for a starting place in the final after his performance when introduced. A comfortable 11-point victory in the end for Kilkenny as they advance to a final meeting with Laois on July 11th.

Here are the scorers from tonight’s game.

Kilkenny: Kevin Kelly 0-9 (0-7f), Walter Walsh 2-1, John Power 1-1, Ger Aylward, Martin Gaffney 0-3 each, Padraig Walsh 0-2, Geoff Brennan 0-1.

Wexford: Jack Guiney 2-1 (2-1f), Barry Carton 1-1, Michael O’Regan 0-2, Gary Moore, Ian Byrne 0-1 each.

Thanks for joining us. Keep the comments coming.

A comprehensive victory for Kilkenny and they’ll be strong favourites to triumph in the decider in three weeks time against Laois. The match will be a repeat of the 1990 Leinster U21 decider when Kilkenny triumphed by 2-9 to 1-10, a game that marked the last time Laois featured at this stage of the competition. Indeed Laois will be chasing a first title in this grade since 1983.

Kilkenny boss Richie Mulrooney will be satisfied with tonight’s display especially considering they coped without senior star Cillian Buckley who was marked absent through injury. Kevin Kelly, Walter Walsh and Ger Aylward were the stars in attack on the night. Yet the concession of four goals may be of concern to the Cats ahead of the final.

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