What has been a pretty depressing month for Dublin hurling showed no sign of turning round as Wexford inflicted a 14-point defeat, 2-15 to 0-7, on their hosts at Parnell Park in the Leinster championship.
Dublin were exposed particularly along the flanks with corner forwards, Edward Cullen and Chris McGrath exploiting some glaring weaknesses in the Dublin rearguard in a one-sided affair.
The trend of the game was pretty much set early on when a free from the side-line slipped out of the hands of Dublin goalkeeper, Brian Duggan and into the back of the net. Duggan then suffered further irritation just before the end when his opposite number, John Cooper, made the long trek up field to convert a penalty.
Meanwhile, at Dr Cullen Park, a draw was always on the cards between neighbours Carlow and Wicklow and it eventually finished 0-7 apiece.
Carlow got the game's opening three points and it was 21 minutes before Wicklow opened their account with a John Keogh point from a free. By half-time Carlow held a slender, 0-4 to 0-3, lead. In the second half both defences continued to dominate with the respective centre backs Trevor McGrath for Wicklow and Carlow's Johnny Nevin key figures. Wicklow led for the only time when substitute Stephen Coady scored a superb point from play near the sideline in the 58th minute. But Carlow had time to force a free from which Pat Coady scored the leveller.
In Munster, Limerick had little difficulty in overcoming Clare, 017 to 0-7, in a one-sided semi-final at Semple Stadium yesterday. Even against the fresh breeze, Limerick were on control. Some slack finishing denied them scores, but they finished the first half well to open an interval lead of 0-9 to 0-4. The second half was a formality as Limerick piled on the scores in the face of only token resistance from a very disappointing Clare side.
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