Burke powers Galway to Leinster U20 win over Wexford

Galway 1-20 Wexford 1-17

Free-taker Rory Burke rifled a dozen points to boost Galway's ambitions of gaining direct passage to the semi-finals of the oneills.com Leinster Under-20 hurling championship after Friday's closing group victory over Wexford at Netwatch Cullen Park.

Dublin lead this section on a maximum four points as they head into Saturday’s trip to Kilkenny, who are now joined on two points by both the Tribesmen and Yellowbellies.

And with the top two counties ultimately earning straight passage to the semi-finals – and the others destined for quarter-finals – the race for the second semi-final ticket looks set to come down to score-difference between Kilkenny (+3) and Galway (-5) if the somewhat weakened Cats succumb to the Dubs.

On the eve of the counties’ opening round showdown in the senior championship, commitments at the higher grade deprived Galway of Liam Collins and Wexford of Conor Foley, while Tiernan Killeen (Galway) and Oisín Pepper (Wexford) were both out through injury.

Galway hadn’t trailed in the first-half of their previous games against Dublin and Kilkenny, but Wexford denied them such luxury as Shamey O’Hagan and Corey Byrne-Dunbar generated a two point gap inside six minutes.

The Tribesmen seized the initiative between the seventh and thirteenth minutes though, with two separate three point bursts transforming matters by 0-6 to 0-3 through free-taker Burke (0-4) and Colm Molloy (0-2).

Wexford struck back to lead 0-7 to 0-6 after 19 minutes as O’Hagan, impressive centre-back Darragh Carley, Séan Rowley and Darragh Farrell re-engerised the purple and gold.

However, after Gavin Lee tied matters for a fourth time (0-8 apiece), the resultant Wexford puck-out was turned over to devastating effect.

Darr