Dublin and Louth through to Leinster MFC semi-finals

FIVE-STAR DISPLAY: Dublin eased to an emphatic win over Wexford at Parnell Park. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Holders Dublin hit Wexford hard and early at Parnell Park, powering through to the Leinster minor football semi-finals with a five-goal blast.

Two goals inside the opening five minutes laid the platform for Dublin's 5-11 to 0-9 quarter-final win.

Cillian McCabe and Senan Bolger grabbed those early goals while Charlie Loughran struck a third to leave Dublin a dozen points clear at half-time.

Fintan Lydon and Rian Doherty added further goals in the second-half as Damien Fennelly's side issued a significant statement.

Dublin missed out on topping their group on the head-to-head rule with Longford, costing them automatic qualification for the last four.

But they generated plenty of momentum with this 17-point win, matching the five goals they blasted against Laois in their group opener.

Dublin will face Kildare in the semi-finals next Tuesday - a repeat of the last two finals - and will take some stopping if they start as strongly again.

Their pace on the counter-attack and clever, angled running cut Wexford asunder and they led 2-2 to no score after seven minutes.

Ryan Ennis, Jack O'Keeffe and Josh Kennedy added points before Loughran struck Dublin's third goal, helping them to lead 3-7 to 0-4 at half-time.

Wexford, who beat Meath with a late goal last week, carved out three decent goal chances but couldn't convert any of them.

Lydon's 36th minute goal for Dublin, their fourth, stretched the gap to 13 points and Doherty added another major three minutes later.

Meanwhile, Louth's impressive bid to qualify for Leinster finals at the minor, U-20 and senior grade remains intact.

Johnny Clerkin's minors saw off Wicklow 1-11 to 1-7 and will face Longford in the last four, away from home, next Tuesday.

Cillian McQuillan stood out for the Wee County with 1-3 including a terrific point from a sideline late in the first-half that left Louth 0-7 to 0-2 ahead.

Patrick Small's second point of the game for Wicklow cut the deficit to three in the 50th minute, 0-10 to 0-7.

But Wicklow lost captain Mark Kinsella to a second yellow card three minutes later and Louth capitalised moments later with the McQuillan goal.

It was a strike worthy of sealing the win as he raced in from the left and found the net with a strong finish.

Brendan Cassidy hit three points for the hosts in Hunterstown too while Tom Doyle pulled back a consolation goal for Wicklow in stoppage time.