LEINSTER UNDER-21 FC FINAL: Kildare  0-10 Wexford  0-6:KILDARE FASHIONED a hard-earned, four-point victory over Wexford in this Leinster Under-21 football championship final at Wexford Park yesterday.

Kildare found it hard to shake off their dogged opponents even though Wexford were forced to play the closing 15 minutes with 14 after Daithí Waters was sent off for a second yellow card offence.

At that stage two points separated the sides, 0-8 to 0-6, but Wexford failed to score for the closing 19 minutes, with Kildare tagging on the two points through Eoin Ó Flaitheartaigh.

Wexford took a second-minute lead through Peter Hughes, but two points from Alan Smith and one from Ó Flaitheartaigh left the Lilywhites leading 0-3 to 0-1 after 10 minutes. After Shane Roche and Smith had traded points, substitute Thomas Barron brought the sides level 0-4 each after 20 minutes. But two Ó Flaitheartaigh points left the winners leading 0-6 to 0-4 at the beak.

When Barron reduced the deficit to the minimum within four minutes of the restart it led to a gripping second half, but Kildare's numerical advantage proved vital.

KILDARE:N McConnell; C Brophy, D Brennan, S Murphy; J Browne, G Whyte, T Byrne; M Waters, N Higgins; D Whyte, E Ó Flaitheartaigh (0-5, 0-1 free), K Kelly; S Fahy, A Smith (0-5, 0-3 frees), G Smullen. Subs: J Fogarty for Higgins (43); M O'Sullivan for Fahy (50); E. O'Sullivan for Kelly (58).

WEXFORD:P Kavanagh; T Hayden, C Lawler, A Murphy; P Whitely, C Murphy, J Kehoe; D Waters, D Farrell; S O'Neill, P Hughes (0-1), B Traynor; S Roche (0-3, 0-2 frees). E Doyle, B Hearne. Subs: T Barron (0-2) for Traynor (26); M Molloy for Kehoe (30); A Moore for O'Neill (37); S Carmody for Doyle (53); D Reck for Hearne (56).

Referee:E Kinsella (Laois).