A look back to a thriller in Parnell Park last year in a Championship Flashback between Dublin and Wexford
Dublin 1-22
Wexford 2-19
The sold out Parnell Park crowd were given an entertaining tie between Dublin and Wexford this time last year. And the result was probably the right outcome. Both sides enjoyed good purple patches and for the most part couldn’t be seperated.
Two second half goals looked to have Davy Fitzgerald’s side edging the result. But Sean Moran stepped up to convert a free, burying it into the Wexford net as the referee blew the final whistle.
The result was vital to Dublin’s hopes of a hurling championship run with Carlow and Galway still to play.
In what’s becoming a little too regular though Dublin surrendered a five point lead to Wexford, as Liam Óg McGovern and Rory O’Connor hit the net in quick succession giving the visitors the edge.
Conal Keaney and Cian Boland were last minute replacements for David Treacy and Darragh O’Connell and both earned their spot with 0-02 and 0-03 respectively.
McGovern, Lee Chin and Shaun Murphy had Wexford leading on five minutes with Dublin fans watching their side agonisingly putting their first three attempts wide. But Keaney finally sent one over from an impossible angle to get the Dubs up and running.
By the fifteenth, Tomás Connolly had the scores levelled on five a piece as the game took on a point for point pattern that would continue for the rest of the half. Conal Keaney had the perfect opportunity to send one past Mark Fanning in the 21st but the Wexford keeper got low to save the rocketing shot.
At the break there was nothing between the sides on 0-11 each, and at that point it was hard to know who would come out on top.
Wexford come from five down to touching distance of a win
Lee Chin, Conor McDonald and and Aidan Nolan scored Wexford’s first three of the second half, with Paul Ryan, Chris Crummey and Cian Boland responding to each. Paul Ryan then rifled off four scores without reply, three of them frees, to give Dublin a 0-18 to 0-14 lead.
Another free conversion from Chin was cancelled out by Sean Moran, and a beautiful score from Connolly put Dublin five clear and looking comfortable. But all of a sudden Wexford began to look menacing. Jack O’Connor worked his way into the danger area, setting up Liam Óg McGovern for Wexfords first green flag. Chin converted another dead ball and Shaun Murphy tied the game with another for the visitors.
Chin’s free taking was becoming all important and with 10 minutes to go he edged Wexford in front. Fergal Whitely restored order at the other end batting a loose ball over the bar to level the sides again. A minute later the ball was back at the church end as Rory O’Connor sunk the ball past Alan Nolan to give his side a three score advantage.
A much needed free was converted by Paul Ryan to close the gap to 0-02, but Chin, this time from play pushed it back out with the game in additional time. That time felt like an eternity for Dublin fans as the only chance they got was from substitute Caolan Conway who saw his attempt drift wide.
Dublin’s Leinster Championship looked to be all but over
As the clock ticked down a last ditch attempt saw a high ball grabbed from the air by Liam Rushe who was fouled on the turn. Without hesitation, Sean Moran shuffled his way to stand over the ball as Wexford filled their own net.
How it got through is probably down to physics, but Moran aimed for the ball to hop about a metre in front of the goal and saw it bounce and past the Wexford pack and into the net. With the home crowd roaring it was almost impossible to hear referee Fergal Horgan’s whistle to call time on the game.
Dublin Scorers:
Paul Ryan 0-10 (7f, 1 ’65)
Sean Moran 1-03 (1-02f)
Cian Boland 0-03
Tom Connolly 0-02
Conal Keaney 0-02
Chris Crummey 0-01
Eamonn Dillon 0-01
Fergal Whitely 0-01
Wexford Scorers:
Lee Chin 0-11 (0-8f, 0-2 65)
Liam Og McGovern 1-01
Rory O’Connor 1-00
Shaun Murphy 0-03 (0-2 sideline)
Conor McDonald 0-03
Aidan Nolan 0-01
Dublin:
1. Alan Nolan
2. Paddy Smyth
3. Eoghan O’Donnell
9. Tomás Connolly
7. Shane Barrett
6. Seán Moran
5. Chris Crummey
8. Seán Treacy
11. Danny Sutcliffe
23. Cian Boland
22. Conal Keaney
15. Eamonn Dillon
13. Paul Ryan
14. Liam Rushe
12. Fergal Whitely
Dublin Substitutions:
10. David Treacy for Keaney (49)
20. Jake Malone for Boland (60)
24. Caolan Conway for Sean Treacy (63)
26. Ronan Hayes for Whitely (68)
Wexford:
1. Mark Fanning
2. Damien Reck
3. Liam Ryan
7. Simon Donohue
5. Paudie Foley
8. Kevin Foley
6. Matthew O’Hanlon
9. Diarmuid O’Keeffe
4. Shaun Murphy
12. Aidan Nolan
11. Liam Og McGovern
14. Lee Chin
13. Conor McDonald
10. Jack O’Connor
15. Rory O’Connor
Wexford Substitutes:
20. Cathal Dunbar for Nolan (53)
25. David Dunne for McDonald (65)
22. Harry Kehoe for Jack O’Connor (67)
17. Shane Reck for Murphy (73)