Leinster SHC: all-square between Model County and Dubs

June 08, 2013

Wexford's Andrew Shore and Danny Sutcliffe of Dublin.
©INPHO/James Crombie.
Wexford and Dublin will meet again after a 1-17 apiece draw at sweltering Wexford Park.

A draw was a fair result in a topsy-turvy match that, in all honesty, neither side deserved to win. The replay should bring both teams on in leaps and bounds … and they certainly need to improve to have any chance of progressing further than a provincial semi-final this year.

Unbelievably, Wexford manager Liam Dunne made six changes to his starting XV named during the week, introducing Keith Rossiter, Tomas Waters, Ciaran O'Shaughnessy, Eoin Quigley, Padge Doran and Jack Guiney from the start.

Anthony Daly's charges held a one-point lead at the short whistle, 0-12 to 1-8, with Joey Boland accounting for 50% of their first-half return while Jack Guiney found the back of their net on the half-hour to give the home team a short-lived advantage.

The Model County got off to an encouraging start when Rory Jacob slotted over the opening point inside 20 seconds but Dublin replied with a run of points from Boland (two frees), Mick Carton and Conor McCormack to lead by 0-4 to 0-1 after eight minutes.

Boland and Danny Sutcliffe made it six-in-a-row for the Dubs, who led by 0-6 to 0-1 after twelve minutes. Gradually, however, the Slaneysiders started to ease their way into the match…

Jack Guiney helped himself to three points - two of them from frees - and Rory Jacob was also on target for the hosts, with Dublin mustering a Shane Durkan reply to keep their lead at two points, 0-7 to 0-5.

Boland converted a brace of Dublin frees from 65 and 35 metres respectively but Gareth Sinnott and Padge Doran replied for the Model men - 0-9 to 0-7. Sutcliffe and Guiney exchanged points before the latter benefited from some clever approach play by Eoin Quigley to restore Wexford's lead with the opening goal of the game.

When Boland arrowed over another Dublin free, the sides were level once more - 0-11 to 1-8. Sutcliffe's late, late point from a difficult angle gave the visitors the narrowest of interval leads.

Midfielder Harry Kehoe executed a superb pick-up and finish to level the scores for the third time in the third minute of the second half. Scores proved hard to come by amid a scrappy, error-strewn passage of play but Boland (free) restored Dublin's advantage in the 42nd minute.

Wexford No.18 Mossie Waters was fortunate not to see red for his part in the concession of that free and, ironically, it was he who then made a great intervention to deny the visitors a certain goal. Moments later, Dublin No.9 Boland bagged his first point from play - and eighth in total - to double the difference, 0-14 to 1-9.

Guiney clipped over a Wexford free following a foul on Jacob and Paul Ryan won a Dublin free within moments of coming into the action as a substitute. Boland took the shot and hit the target: 0-15 to 1-10. Yet again, Guiney replied from a Wexford free, bringing his personal tally to 1-6.

Quigley then struck a surprise wide before Jacob took advantage of being granted the freedom of Wexford Park to bang over the leveller from a central position on 52 minutes. With a quarter of the match remaining, the match was there for both sides to win but the momentum was now with the hosts.

Guiney hammered over an excellent Wexford lead point in the 55th minute and centre forward Sinnott gave the vocal home support plenty to cheer about when he followed up with another great point from a similar position a minute later. The hosts had hit four points in succession and were dominant but failed to close out the match...

Boland's free tailed to the right of the posts and wide and Dublin goalkeeper Gary Maguire made a fine stop to deny substitute Lee Chin from close range. The Wexford No.9 could have taken a point but opted to go for goal at the end of a blistering run.

There was a series of misses and misplaced passes all over the field as the tension mounted, Wexford still leading by two with eight minutes left. Even allowing for the fact that there was so much at stake, we were subjected to some really poor play from both teams with the game hanging precariously in the balance.

Sinnott bombed over his third point - and Wexford's fifth in succession - in the 65th minute to give the home team more breathing space; Dublin's reply was another wide from substitute Simon Lambert: 1-15 to 0-15 with five minutes remaining.

Wing back Carton whacked over an inspirational Dublin point and the match was turned on its head in the 67th minute when Dubs sub Eamonn Dillon first-timed the sliothar to the back of the Model County net from close range.

Immediately, Sinnott brought Wexford level again with a fantastic strike and it was 1-16 apiece as we progressed into the last minute of normal time.

Ryan popped up with a lead point for Dublin and Wexford substitute Gary Moore won a soft Wexford free in injury time. As there was only going to be one added minute, there was immense pressure on Guiney as he squared up to the free but the young student made no mistake as he scored with the last puck of the match to force a replay.

Wexford - M Fanning; E Moore, A Shore, K Rossiter; R Kehoe, T Waters, C Kenny; H Kehoe (0-1), C O'Shaughnessy; D Redmond, E Quigley, G Sinnott (0-4); J Guiney (1-8, 0-6f), P Doran (0-1), R Jacob (0-3). Subs: L Chin for O'Shaughnessy, P Morris for Quigley, PJ Nolan for H Kehoe.

Dublin - G Maguire; N Corcoran, P Kelly, P Schutte; M Carton (0-2), L Rushe, S Durkin (0-1); J McCaffrey, J Boland (0-9, 8f); C McCormack (0-1), R O'Dwyer, D Sutcliffe (0-3); D O'Callaghan, C Keaney, D Treacy. Subs: N McMorrow for O'Dwyer, E Dillon (1-0) for Treacy, P Ryan (0-1) for O'Callaghan, S Lambert for Durkin, R Trainor for P Schutte, M Schutte for McCormack.

Referee - D Kirwan.

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