Dublin’s wealth of resources too much for Wexford

Dublin 2-25 Wexford 1-12

So that’s four successive Leinster football finals now for Dublin, or nine in the last decade, the All-Ireland champions merely ticking another box here as they move one step closer towards the defence of that title, too.

At least Wexford tried their best to make it interesting for the double-bill attendance of 46,279 – or at least for as long as they could. Because the level of excitement could be measured in grams, and in truth, there was never any sense of an upset.

Instead Dublin merely paced themselves with typical composure to book their place in the Leinster final, set for July 20th, where they will most likely face a stiffer physical test against old rivals Meath.

Semi-finals are all about winning, and although Dublin were up by just four points at the break – 0-10 to Wexford's 0-6 – they then did what everyone knew they would do in the second half: Jim Gavin emptied his bench, and together those replacements swung the entire momentum in Dublin's favour, and perhaps added some weight to the argument that Gavin can finish with a stronger team than the one he starts.

Cormac Costello was chief among them, coming off the bench at half-time and scoring 1-5 – his goal on 45 minutes brilliantly set up by the ever clever Michael Darragh Macauley.

Eoghan O’Gara also marked his latest cameo with 0-2, and Tomás Brady did likewise to score 0-2; while Jack McCaffrey also came off the bench to inflict further terror on the Wexford half-forward line. None of the Wexford substitutes, in contrast, were able to make any difference at all.

In the end that made for 12 different scorers for Dublin, including 1-2 for Paul Flynn, his goal coming in the last minute of normal time to ensure the winning margin in the end was a very impressive 16 points, even when Dublin weren't trying to be particularly impressive.

Dublin were without Bernard Brogan – still not quite match fit after a hamstring injury – but he wasn't missed, not here anyway. Such is the strength and depth of the Dublin panel now that he might be a little bit nervous about getting his place back for the Leinster final.

Costello has to be in with a shout in what was arguably a man-of-the-match performance. The only Dublin forward that didn’t score was Kevin McManamon, although he set up his share.

Paul Mannion – a late replacement for the injured Paddy Andrews – might well have had a hat-trick of goals in the opening minutes, goalkeeper Shane Roche pulling off one big save, with defender Adrian Flynn making another big block. Still, Mannion helped himself to a nice couple of points in the first 20 minutes, while Dean Rock returned Gavin's faith of putting him in the starting line-up with four frees. Rock was later replaced at half-time, by Costello.

Both sides were guilty of shooting a bizarre series of wides in the first half, or worse still dropped perfectly capable balls inexplicably short. The All-Ireland champions were not firing on all cylinders at the start, the problem for Wexford being they weren’t either – or at least didn’t have the firepower to hit Dublin where it hurts when they appeared somewhat vulnerable.

Still, Wexford were well organised and eager, their team-work certainly impressive at times, with Ben Brosnan typically influential in keeping their scores ticking over in the first half. But they were soon running down dead ends, or else chasing Dublin, as the All-Ireland championships imposed they all-dominating game plan at will.

There was a classic consolation score for Wexford, when Daithí Waters found the Dublin net just before the hour mark, swerving in from the left, and burying it to the right side of Stephen Cluxton.

But Dublin responded to that blip by out-scoring Wexford 1-7 to a single point in the time that remained. Wexford’s patience was shot by the death, some tempers flaring up too, as Dublin squeezed whatever life was left of them.

So the champions march on, as ominously as ever for the rest of the country.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton (0-1, a 45); P McMahon (0-1), R O'Carroll, J Cooper; J McCarthy, N Devereux (0-1), K Nolan; M D MacCauley (0-1), C O'Sullivan; P Flynn (1-2), P Mannion (0-3), D Connolly (0-2, one free); A Brogan (0-1), D Rock (0-4, all frees), K McManamon.

Subs: C Costello (1-5, two frees), (for Rock (half time), E O'Gara (0-2) for Brogan (47 mins), J McCaffrey for Nolan (49 mins), T Brady (0-2) for O'Sullivan (58 mins), M Fitzsimons for Devereux (63 mins), B Cullen for MacCauley (68 mins).

WEXFORD: S Roche; R Tierney, G Mollloy, C Carty; M Furlong, B Malone, A Flynn; D Waters (1-0), P Byrne; T Rossiter, PJ Banville (0-3), J Holmes (0-1); C Lyng, B Brosnan (0-7, four frees), K O'Grady (0-1).

Subs: C Kehoe for Holmes (50 mins), M O'Regan for Flynn (52 mins), E Nolan for Byrne (57 mins), D Dunne for Rossiter (60 mins), G Cullen for O'Grady (63 mins).

Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down)