Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

DUBLIN 1-22 WEXFORD 2-19

By Paul Keane at Parnell Park

Sean Moran was Dublin's last action hero at Parnell Park with an equalising goal in the 77th minute to keep alive their hopes of a top-three finish in the Leinster SHC.

Hosts Dublin looked to be on their way back to back defeats following their Round One defeat in Kilkenny after letting slip a five-point lead with 15 minutes to go here.

They trailed by three points deep into additional time after Wexford goals from Liam Og McGovern and Rory O'Connor while Lee Chin, who struck 0-11 for Wexford, punched the air in delight when he pointed in the 72nd minute.

But in the very last play of the game, Liam Rushe won a free for Dublin and Cuala hero Moran strode up from defence to crash a low shot home to the net, securing a dramatic draw.

It was probably a fair outcome as the sides swapped the lead on various occasions during a rip-roaring encounter and were tied 11 times in all.

It was Wexford's first game of the Championship and they will head to Galway next weekend while Dublin have a break before playing Carlow on June 2 in their third outing.

Wexford just about edged the corresponding fixture with Dublin at Innovate Wexford Park last year so it was no surprise that this one went right to the wire too.

The sides were level on five occasions in the first-half at the north Dublin venue as the game developed into an entertaining tit-for-tat scoring contest.

Wexford got the brighter start, moving three points clear before Dublin finally got off the mark in the eighth minute through Conal Keaney.

It was Keaney's first start for Dublin this year having underwent shoulder surgery over winter and missed the entire Allianz league.

The powerful Ballyboden man was a key figure in the first-half for Dublin, clipping two points and engaging in an intriguing head to head with Matthew O'Hanlon.

Dublin recovered to draw level at 0-5 apiece after 16 minutes and pushed on to lead by three points at one stage.

Wexford, typical of the pattern of the game, responded with a surge of scoring themselves to level it up and then take the lead.

Davy Fitzgerald watched his side take the lead on four different occasions in the half though they ultimately went in at half-time level at 0-11 apiece.

Fitzgerald viewed most of the opening half from the back of the main stand before joining selectors JJ Doyle, Seoirse Bulfin and Keith Rossitter on the sideline just before the interval.

The Clare man was frustrated on a number of occasions by his side's wasteful play in the final third of the pitch with eight first-half wides.

The second-half was a thrill-a-minute ride that got better as the game wore on.

They were level three more times in the third quarter before Dublin appeared to have taken control of the game, reeling off five points in a row to lead 0-18 to 0-14.

Yet just as Wexford looked to be on the ropes they conjured their very best form to put themselves in a great position.

McGovern's goal in the 56th minute after good work by Jack O'Connor and McGovern turned creator in the 65th minute to feed Rory O'Connor for the game breaking second goal.

Wexford led by three all the way into the seventh minute of additional time, but they just couldn't hold on as Rushe and Moran combined to save Dublin.

Scorers for Dublin: Paul Ryan 0-10 (7fs, 165), Sean Moran 1-2 (1-1fs), Cian Boland 0-3, Conal Keaney 0-2, Tom Connolly 0-2, Chris Crummey 0-1, Eamonn Dillon 0-1, Fergal Whitely 0-1.

Scorers for Wexford: Lee Chin 0-11 (8fs, 265s), Liam Og McGovern 1-1, Rory O'Connor 1-0, Conor McDonald 0-3 (0-2 s/l), Shaun Murphy 0-3, Aidan Nolan 0-1.

DUBLIN: Alan Nolan; Paddy Smyth, Eoghan O'Donnell, Tom Connolly; Shane Barrett, Sean Moran, Chris Crummey; Sean Treacy, Danny Sutcliffe; Cian Boland, Conal Keaney, Eamonn Dillon; Fergal Whitely, Liam Rushe, Paul Ryan.

Subs: David Treacy for Keaney (49), Jake Malone for Boland (60), Caolan Conway for Treacy (63), Ronan Hayes for Whitely (67).

WEXFORD: Mark Fanning; Damien Reck, Liam Ryan, Simon Donohoe; Paudie Foley, Matthew O'Hanlon, Aidan Nolan; Shaun Murphy, Diarmuid O'Keeffe; Kevin Foley, Liam Og McGovern, Lee Chin; Conor McDonald, Jack O'Connor, Rory O'Connor. 

Subs: Cathal Dunbar for Nolan (54), David Dunne for McDonald (66), Harry Kehoe for J O'Connor (68), Shane Reck for Murphy (73).

REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).