Wexford’s blistering start with 2-15 up on the board with just 15 minutes played was a sign of things to come

Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Phase 2 Rd 1 

Wexford 6-23 

Laois 1-10

LAOIS minor hurlers welcomed Wexford to Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Saturday afternoon for Round 2 of Phase 2 in the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship.

Laois put up a good display against one of the competition’s favourites in Galway last week, coming away with just a four point loss after a tough slog in recent months to get into this phase of the Leinster championship.

In total contrast to Laois, this was Wexford’s second competitive game of the year and they came into Saturday’s contest much fresher.

While that was a contributing factor, Wexford were extremely impressive in their own right with incredible size and power coupled with fantastic efficiency in front of the posts.

The visitors made a Wexford’s blistering start to the game with 2-15 up on the board with just fifteen minutes played, while Laois could manage just one point in reply.

To their credit Laois dug in and refused to down tools as they tried their best to combat the sheer size and power of their opponents, Wexford are a huge team at this level and they will take some stopping going forward.

They have a ruthless full forward line of Bobby Murray, Robbie Kehoe and Joey Tobin who all seem to be unstoppable under a high ball and the trio combined for 5-6 from play.

Remarkably just two of Wexford's scores came from frees as they hit 6-21 from play and had eleven different scorers, the only starters who didn't get on the sheet were the full back line and goalkeeper.

Sean Kavanagh, Bobby Murray and Joey Tobin all pointed in the opening minutes as Wexford kept Laois penned in and they broke through for a goal off the back of a Laois puckout with Robbie Kehoe firing home, and he added a point seconds later again from the Laois puckout.

LJ Cuddy got Laois off the mark in the tenth minute from a free but there was little they could do as Jack Furlong, Jamie Downey, Rory Durack and Tobin fired over from various angles and Murray got in for their second goal after a poor attempt at a clearance from the Laois backs.

A point from Tadhg Hughes lifted the Laois crowd and Hughes almost added a goal to his tally when he was denied by Matt Butler, however the ball rebounded out to Oisin Gilligan to stroke it home for a much needed goal.

The goal awakened Wexford once again who came back firing through Kavanagh, Tobin, Cathal Whelan, Bryan Kennedy and Cormac Doyle.

By this stage all of the Wexford forwards and both midfielders had split the posts and they added further damage to Laois before half time when Tobin latched onto another high ball into the danger zone and made a run inside before handing off to Kehoe to get his second goal of the game and make it 3-16 to 1-3 at half time.

LJ Cuddy pointed a free early in the second half but Wexford continued to pile on the pressure with points from Doyle, Furlong, Kavanagh and Kennedy to increase their lead even further.

Laois got a rare two in a row with a Dan Bowe free from range and a Cuddy free seven minutes later after a lulled period to bring us to the midway stage of the half.

Durack ended a ten minute Wexford drought along with a point from Ryan Walsh to make it ten scorers for Wexford.

The barrage of high balls continued from Wexford as one landed down on top of Bryan Kennedy who turned on a six pence and lashed it into the net past Fionnan Gilligan.

LJ Cuddy continued to add to his tally with a couple of frees but they were in vain and Wexford landed two more hammer blows before the end with goals from Bobby Murray and Joey Tobin to cap off a dominant victory.

SCORERS:

Wexford: Robbie Kehoe and Bobby Murray 2-2 each, Joey Tobin 1-4 (0-2fs), Bryan Kennedy 1-2, Sean Kavanagh 0-4, Cormac Doyle, Jack Furlong and Rory Durack 0-2 each, Jamie Downey, Cathal Whelan and Ryan Walsh 0-1 each. Laois: LJ Cuddy 0-7 (fs), Oisin Gilligan 1-0, Dan Bowe (f), Jamie Mahony and Tadhg Hughes 0-1 each.

WEXFORD: Matt Butler; Enda Byrne, Alfie Sludds Murphy, Paddy O'Neill; Cormac Doyle, Jamie Downey, Ryan Walsh; Cathal Whelan, Jack Furlong; Bryan Kennedy, Sean Kavanagh, Rory Durack; Bobby Murray, Robbie Kehoe, Joey Tobin. Subs: Jack Cullen for Kavanagh (45m), Eoghan Kehoe for Doyle (45m), Sean Doyle for Whelan (45m), Conor Kehoe for Furlong (51m), Lennon Carty for Byrne (56m).

LAOIS: Ryan Keeshan (Rathdowney-Errill); Conor Hickey (Borris-Kilcotton), Jack Rice (Mountrath), Darragh Keeshan (Borris-Kilcotton); Harry Donoghue (The Harps), Dan Bowe (Rathdowney-Errill), Oisin McRedmond (Portlaoise); Luke Hynes (Camross), Tadhg Hughes (Rosenallis); Dan Downey (Park-Ratheniska/Timahoe), Bobby O’Connor (Trumera), Killian James (St Paul’s); Oisin Gilligan (Ballyfin), LJ Cuddy (Camross), Callum Jones (Borris-Kilcotton).

Subs: Rian Dwyer (Ballinakill) for Keeshan (17m), Cillian Hoey (Portarlington) for James (ht), Jamie Mahony (The Harps) for O'Connor (ht), Eoin O'Loughlin (Ballyfin) for McRedmond (43m, inj), Tadhg Lowy (Camross) for O Gilligan (48m).

Referee: Brian Kearney (Kildare)