A crucial period just before half-time, when they leaked 1-3 without reply, led to the Wexford hurlers losing out by 1-19 to 0-16 in the first of three big clashes with Dublin this season, when they clashed in Sunday’s Walsh Cup tournament final at Bellefield.

The sides were tied on 0-6 apiece after Wexford were unfortunate with a number of gilt-edged scoring chances. But the Dubs seized the initiative in the closing stages of the opening-half and maintained a tidy advantage subsequently, as they fielded no fewer than seven of the players from their narrow All-Ireland semi-final loss to Tipperary in 2011, while Wexford continued their experimental approach, with only Richie Kehoe, Ciarán Kenny, Harry Kehoe, Paul Morris and PJ Nolan among the regulars started by Liam Dunne.

The counties are due to renew rivalries at Bellefield on March 24th in the National League ahead of the Leinster championship quarter-final duel at Wexford Park on June 8th.