SH Qualifier: Model dethrone Banner after extra time

July 12, 2014

Clare's David McInerney with Conor McDonald of Wexford.
©INPHO/Donall Farmer.
Three late Jack Guiney points saw Wexford defeat All-Ireland champions Clare by 2-25 to 2-22 after extra time in an unbelievable replay at Wexford Park.

U21 star Guiney entered the fray as a 28th-minute substitute and finished the match with a tally of 0-10.

So much happened in this game that it's hard to know where to start with trying to write a match report...

In a dramatic end to normal time, Colin Ryan nailed a 74th-minute '65' for the reigning All-Ireland champions, who had been reduced to 13 men, to force extra time: Clare 2-15 Wexford 1-18.

The Model County must have been kicking themselves at the final whistle as they failed to make the extra men tell during normal time and it would be back to 15 V 15 for the next 20 minutes.

At the end of an action-packed first half that in itself produced more talking points than the fifth season of Breaking Bad, Clare led by two points, 1-5 to 0-6. But the Banner County were already down a man following captain Brendan Bugler's 33rd-minute dismissal with a straight red card.

Conor McGrath and Paul Morris (free) swapped the first two points and Morris's second free had the sides level again after 16 minutes, 0-2 each, with John Conlon notching Clare's second score.

Colin Ryan (free) and Diarmuid O'Keeffe also cancelled out each other's scores before Tony Kelly and Conlon edged the All-Ireland champions two ahead.

Darach Honan - a late addition to the Clare starting team - moved the Banner County five points clear when he found the net calmly in the 22nd minute.

But the Model County, who had the wind at their backs in the first half, refused to roll over and Redmond, Morris (free) and Lee Chin - from a nigh-on-impossible angle - struck three successive points as they closed within two by the 28th minute.

There were no more scores in the first half although the Slaneysiders thought they had taken the lead on the stroke of the short whistle, but Conor McDonald's 'goal' was ruled out. The stage was set for a barnstorming second half: Wexford had an extra man but Clare would have wind advantage…

Points from Liam Og McGovern and Morris (free) had the hosts level within three minutes of the restart but Conlon and Honan fired over Clare points before Jack Guiney (free) made it a one-point match again. Colm Galvin and Guiney (free) traded points and the Banner moved three ahead after 46 minutes thanks to scores from McGrath and Kelly - 1-10 to 0-10.

Guiney (free) replied and the Banner County were reduced to 13 men in the 50th minute when Jack Browne picked up his second yellow card.

A brilliant Conlon goal seemed to have put the 13 men in control again but, almost instantly, the Model County replied with a major from McDonald - 2-10 to 1-12 with 51 minutes played.

Points from McGovern and Guiney edged the hosts in front for the first time as we moved into the fourth quarter but Colin Ryan levelled. Chin and Clare goalkeeper Pa Kelly - with a monster free - traded points as did Guiney (free) and Conlon. But a Guiney point from play edged the 15 men back in front with nine minutes to go.

Guiney and Ryan traded late frees and there was just a point between the sides as we went into the dying seconds of another absorbing contest. Four minutes into injury time, Ryan thumped over a Clare '65', which meant that, for the second week in a row, we would have extra time.

For the additional 20 minutes, Davy Fitzgerald's side would be restored to the full complement…

The Model County led by two points at half time in extra time, 2-20 to 2-18, with Harry Kehoe netting in the 80th minute.

McGrath and McDonald swapped the first two points of the first additional period before a Jamie Shanahan brace edged the Banner into a two-point lead. Morris (free) replied and Kehoe's brave decision to go for goal as he cut in from the right after gathering a pass from Guiney was rewarded as he hit the net with a low shot to effect another twist in this remarkable tale.

Ryan (free) and Conlon had the sides level again but Morris (free) edged Liam Dunne's team back in front only for Conor McGrath to make it 2-21 apiece.

When Morris fired Wexford back in front, Hurler of the Year Kelly levelled the scores for the 13th time. But a trio of points from Jack Guiney saw the Model County across the line at the end of an extraordinary 160-minute, two-match contest.

Wexford - M Fanning; L Ryan, M O'Hanlon, K Rossiter; A Shore, E Moore, C Kenny; D Redmond (0-1), L Chin (0-2); P Morris (0-7, 4f), P Doran, D O'Keeffe (0-1); G Sinnott, C McDonald (1-1), L Og McGovern (0-2). Subs: J Guiney (0-10, 8f) for P Doran, R Jacob (0-1) for G Sinnott, I Byrne for P Morris, PJ Nolan for D Redmond, H Kehoe (1-0) for D O'Keeffe, P Morris for I Byrne, R Kehoe for C Kenny; S Tomkins for PJ Nolan, P Doran for R Jacob, W Devereux for K Rossiter, K Rossiter for E Moore.

Clare - P Kelly (0-1f); J Browne, D McInerney, C Dillon; B Bugler, C Ryan, P O'Connor; S Morey, C Galvin (0-1); P Duggan, T Kelly (0-3), C Ryan (0-5, 4f, 1'65); D Honan (1-1), J Conlon (1-5), C McGrath (0-4). Subs: P Donnellan for P Duggan, A Cunningham for D Honan, C McInerney for J Conlon, J Shanahan (0-2), P Flanagan.

Referee - J Ryan.

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