David Fogarty hit an injury-time winner to send Wexford through to the 2005 national football league final. The Model County defied the odds to pip league specialists Tyrone in an evenly-contested match at rainswept O'Moore Park in Portlaoise. The winners went into the match at 3-1 outsiders but made light of the underdog mantle as they set about dismantling Mickey Harte's understrength side. Wexford were contesting in their first semi-final in 55 years, while this was Tyrone's third successive appearance at the semi-final stage, thus their strong favouritism. Skipper Brian Dooher (wing forward) returned to the Tyrone attack but Owen Mulligan and Stephen O'Neill were ruled out by injury. Manager Mickey Harte recalled Conor Gormley for his first start since completing a month-long suspension and a third change saw Pascal McConnell take over from John Devine in goal. However, Devine replaced the injured McConnell on 25 minutes. Element-assisted Wexford showed no signs of tension early on, giving as good as they got in the opening exchanges to lead by two points, 1-3 to 1-1, after 20 minutes. The illusive Matty Forde delivered all the Model County's opening scores, while corner forward Martin Penrose goaled for the red-hot favourites (after a bad mistake by Wexford goalkeeper John Cooper, who dropped Enda McGinley's delivery) to keep them in touch. Wexford were guilty of seven wides in the opening half hour, and Tyrone, whose second point came from Penrose, were delighted to be within a point despite surrendering territorial superiority. Penrose fired over the leveller on 32 minutes but John Hegarty gave the Leinster county a narrow 1-4 to 1-3 interval lead with a point a minute into first-half injury time. A couple of skirmished broke out in the first ten minutes of the second half as the O'Neill County edged in front thanks to a brace of points from Penrose, one from a free and one from open play. Brian Meenan, who played in place of the injured O'Neill, was yellow-carded eight minutes into the second half and Wexford took full advantage, equalising with a point from Nicky Lambert. Ryan Mellon traded points with Model County corner forward Redmond Barry. Wexford full forward John Hudson almost got in for a goal on the hour, but the wet ball slipped agonisingly from his grasp following a neat handpass from Forde. The second half was a scrappy, low-scoring affair, with only five points scored in the first half hour. With five minutes remaining, the sides were level, 1-6 apiece, but Wexford had greater heart and Pat Roe's charges prevailed with two late points. Centre forward Paddy Colfer put the underdogs in front four minutes from time and there was agony for the O'Neill County when Mellon's last-minute free rebounded to safety off the crossbar. However, there was still time for Mark Harte to draw the sides level with an excellent late pointed free. With the spectre of extra time looming large, wing forward David Fogarty made history with the winning point from distance three minutes into added time. The winners will have to wait to learn who their final opponents will be as the scheduled semi-final meeting of Armagh and Mayo was called off due to an unplayable surface at Hyde Park, Roscommon. Wexford - J Cooper, C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy, D Breen, D Murphy, S Cullen, D Kinsella 0-1, N Lambert, D Fogarty 0-1, P Colfer 0-1, J Hegarty 0-1, R Barry 0-1, J Hudson, M Forde 1-3. Subs - J Darcy for Lambert, P Forde for Hegarty, D Foran for Hudson, R Mageean for Breen. Tyrone - P McConnell, R McMenamin, C Lawn, S Sweeney, C Gormley, G Devlin, P Jordan, C Holmes, S Kavanagh, B Dooher, R Mellon 0-2, E McGinley, M Coleman, B Meehan, M Penrose 1-4. Subs - P Donnelly for Coleman, J Devine for McConnell, M Harte 0-1 for Meehan. Referee - J Guiney (Cork) Tweet

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