Galway full-forward Sean Bleahene struck an injury time winner to seal Galway a maiden Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship on Wednesday.
Wexford forward Rory O’Connor had given the Yellowbellies a two-point lead in the dying minutes with a fantastic point on the turn before Galway came right back down the other end with Bleahene catching a long ball forward before firing the match winner into the top right corner.
Dramaíocht ar @TG4TV nó Spóirt? Seo agaibh meascán den dhá rud!
An bhfaca tú a leithéid de seo ariamh?The last 2 mins of Galway v Wexford. What a finish! Breathless stuff! Neither team deserved to lose! This is what #Hurlingtothecore is about! @BGEGAA @McCarthyMick pic.twitter.com/Rv93pJlNQh
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) July 4, 2018
Earlier in the match Wexford wing-back Ian Carthy had sent the game into extra-time after he scored a late goal in the 60th minute to cut back Galway’s three-point advantage.
Galway led by as much as six points at one stage but ultimately hung on to claim their first Leinster U21 championship win to following their appearance in the 2016 All-Ireland U21 final.
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 1-7 (7f), Tomas Monaghan 1-2, Kevin Cooney 1-2, Cianan Fahy 0-5 (1’65, 1f), Sean Bleahene 1-0, Brian Concannon 0-2, Sean Loftus 0-1, Fintan Burke 0-1, Conor Caulfield 0-1
Scorers for Wexford: Seamus Casey 1-11 (9f), Rory O’Connor 0-7 (2f), Ian Carthy 1-0, Stephen O’Gorman 0-2, Rowan White 0-2, Joe O’Connor 0-2, Garry Molloy 0-1, Rory Higgins 0-1
GALWAY: Eanna Murphy; Ian O’Shea, Jack Fitzpatrick, Shane Bannon; Jack Grealish, Fintan Burke (c), Mark Hughes; Tomás Monaghan, Sean Loftus; Brian Concannon, Cian Salmon, Cianan Fahy; Evan Niland, Sean Bleahene, Kevin Cooney.
Subs: Patrick Foley for Salmon (half-time), Conor Caulfield for Hughes (41), Jack Canning for Bleahene (42), Ciaran Connor for Bannon (60), Ronan Murphy for Concannon (66), Michael Lynch for Monaghan (75), Sean Bleahene for Niland (77).
WEXFORD: Jack Cushe; Shane Reck, Darren Byrne, Ian Carthy; Aaron Maddock, Damien Reck, Garry Molloy; Conor Firman (c), Rowan White; Joe O’Connor, Rory O’Connor, Liam Stafford; Stephen O’Gorman, Rory Higgins, Seamus Casey.
Subs: Mikey Dwyer for O’Gorman (52), Oisin Foley for Stafford (52), Darren Codd for White (56), Stephen O’Gorman for Casey (66).
Referee: John O’Brien (Laois).
