Kilkenny in top gear

The minor hurlers of Kilkenny and Wexford produced a hugely-entertaining Leinster final replay at Dr Cullen Park Carlow last evening, with Kilkenny eventually taking the title for a record 10th year in a row.

In last Sunday's drawn game Kilkenny had to depend on an injury-time point from a free to earn a replay, but they were never led last evening in a game played at a cracking pace.

Strangely, there was only one score in the first quarter - a pointed free from Kilkenny's Michael Phelan in the third minute - but by half-time Kilkenny led 0-6 to 0-2, having played with the wind. Within 30 seconds of the restart Wexford had conceded a goal, finished clincially by Phelan. Kieran Rafter scored Kilkenny's second goal in the 40th minute, and Wexford found themselves 2-11 to 0-4 adrift after 41 minutes. To their great credit Wexford staged a tremendous comeback and cut into the champions' lead.

But the goal that Wexford needed arrived too late - in the 58th minute from corner forward Jimmy Goggins - to save them.

Wexford did produce the score of the match when half forward Leon O'Connell split the Kilkenny posts with a sideline cut from halfway down the pitch in the final quarter.

KILKENNY: D Herity; K Doheny, J Tyrrell, B Murphy; T Murphy, C Hickey (0- 2), JJ Delaney; C O'Neill, G Byrne (0-1); E Walsh (0-1), G Byrne (0-2), D Brennan (0-3); E McCormack, K Rafter (1-1), M Phelan (1-3). Subs: D Dowling for Walsh; P Reid for McCormack.

WEXFORD: M White; P Donoghue, D O'Connor, A Kavanagh; L Gleeson, D Stamp, J McDonald; P Doyle, P Wilson; JJ Doyle (0-1), A O'Leary (0-1), L O'Connor (0-2); J Goggins (1-1), R Freeman (0-3), D Mythen (0-2). Subs: E Quigley for Gleeson; B Lambert (0-1) for P Doyle; N Goff for JJ Doyle.

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).