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Last-gasp Lambert goal cruel on Dubs Dublin had the
hand of history in their grasp only to see it slip away in the final agonising
minute as Wexford’s Barry Lambert thundered over a late sideline
cut to seal a one-point win for the Yellowbellies and break Dublin hearts.
Wexford advance to a seventh consecutive Leinster hurling final while
the Metropolitans can justifiably claim to be genuine contenders for the
provincial title in the coming years.
The Metropolitans began the game in nervous fashion while Wexford wore
a confidence befitting hurling aristocrats racing into a 1-3 to 0-1 lead
after 10 minutes.
But it is a sign of how far Dublin have progressed this season that Wexford
manager John Meyler was prepared to settle for a one-point win.
He said: “A couple of times I thought we had them put away but they
kept coming back and at the end I was really worried because we kept conceding
possession.
“But that was a bit of class at the end. An 80-yard sideline is
not something you can defend against and maybe over the course of the
game we deserved the win.”
That early Wexford lead came courtesy of a Niall Higgins goal. Dublin
were winning an equal share of possession and in the second quarter of
the first-half they rattled over two points to keep their tally ticking
over. A Ross O’Carroll goal just before half-time kept the Blues’
dream alive narrowing the gap to two points — 1-7 to
1-5 - at the break.
Dublin levelled matters straight after the resumption while Wexford continued
to produce a steady flow of wides but the Model County men swept up most
of the loose ball around midfield.
The third quarter of this match proved decisive. Dublin hit a flat spot
failing to score for 12 minutes during which time Wexford found their
shooting skills and roared into a five-point lead.
Dublin retrieved that deficit with an excellent late burst and a shock
seemed to be on the cards until Lambert’s late score sealed the
win.
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