Galway dispatch of Wexford in windswept Leinster U20 opener, Dubs and Cats cruise to first wins

Kilkenny picked up the win that was widely expected when they travelled to Hawkfield to play Kildare, but it was even more comfortable for Dublin where two first half goals from Callum Graham set them on their way to a 3-15 to 0-10 win over Meath

Aaron Niland raised the green flag twice on Galway's way to victory over Wexford at Laois Hire O’Moore Park. Pic: James Lawlor/Inpho

Galway flexed their muscles for the first 15 minutes of this afternoon’s Leinster U-20 championship opener against Wexford at Laois Hire O’Moore Park. 

That was enough to allow their star-studded unit cruise through the next 45 windswept minutes of action and still pick up a 4-12 to 1-8 win over a limited Model County side that scored just two points from play in the hour.

Hurling into a ferociously strong wind where puckouts struggled to reach their own 65m line, Aaron Niland shot two superb goals to establish a 2-4 to 0-3 lead with 18 minutes played.

His first was a wonderful team score with Jason Rabbitte, Vince Morgan and Brian Callanan all involved in the ball being walked through the Wexford backline, his second a thunderous drive inside the right hand post.

Wexford’s resilience and physicality led to them scoring the next five points while Galway went 23 minutes without a score, but defensively the Tribesmen continued to hold firm and Niland’s hat-trick goal midway through the second half wrapped up their win.

Seán O’Brien scored 1-6 for Wexford from frees, his goal scored from the 20m line after the new dissent sanction was applied by Thomas Gleeson.

In the first game of the Portlaoise double header, the home side looked to be on the cusp of their first championship win over Offaly at this grade since 1976 when Conor Headen took a pass from Justin Duggan and whipped the sliotar to the net with five minutes to play, making it 2-14 to 0-17 with that hurricane blowing at Laois’ backs.

The lead lasted all of 30 seconds as Darragh Scully fired in a shot that held up in the breeze, Patrick Lyons poked it to the net and Offaly added three late points, including an outstanding score and assist from Seán Carey, to win by 1-20 to 2-16.

Leo O’Connor’s Offaly side were very ineffective in the first half, with Cormac Byrne, Tony Mahony and half backs Hugh Whelan and Eoghan Murphy impressing in 30 minutes that finished 0-10 to 0-7.

Byrne batted a goal 20 seconds into the second half to level the game but Laois also fell into the trap of hurling a lot of ball into an extra defender, allowing Offaly to stay in touch through points from Mark Mulrooney and Odhran Fletcher.

Headen’s goal should have been enough, but after a mediocre 55 minutes, Offaly had a big finish to come when they needed it.

Elsewhere, Kilkenny picked up the win that was widely expected when they travelled to Hawkfield to play Kildare, but there were plenty of encouraging signs for the Lily Whites, who were unlucky to be 1-7 to 0-4 down at half-time.

A superb solo goal from Paddy Lacey, driven across the goal and inside the far post from the 13m line was the key score to separate the teams and quick scores from Kevin Buggy and Ed Lauhoff after half-time set Kilkenny up with a good foundation to drive on and win well in a game where the wind was blowing across the pitch.

Instead Kildare dug in, Tom Power brought his tally to 0-8 with a series of frees, and the gap was down to a goal before Kilkenny fired the last six points to win by 1-16 to 0-10.

It was even more comfortable for Dublin at Parnell Park, where two first half goals from Callum Graham set the Dubs on their way to a 3-15 to 0-10 win over Meath.

Graham’s first came after seven minutes when Tom Higgins drove through the Meath defence to set up the attack, and although Meath responded well with points from Mark Leavy and Louis McIvor, a simple catch and finish from Graham made it 2-6 to 0-6 at the turnaround.

The game was ended as a contest when Aron Gargan’s speculative shot dropped short three minutes into the second half and Darragh Kilduff was there to flick the ball into the empty net from close range.