Carlow 1-9 - S Kavanagh 0-5, four frees, S O'Brien 1-0, J Kavanagh 0-2, B Kelly 0-1, M Carpenter 0-1.

Wicklow 2-6 - R Coffey 1-1, T Gill 0-4, two frees, K Byrne 1-0, T Hannon 0-1.

Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).

Attendance: 4,500 (est).

Standing on the sideline with just over five minutes left on the clock, Moses Coffey looked a worried man with a worried mind.

Wicklow had gone football's equivalent to over half a lifetime without a score, and, from certain winners, they seemed doomed to be certain losers.

An almost incredible reversal of fortunes had practically forced Coffey's side into submission. Having witnessed a first half where his side couldn't lose possession to Carlow even if they tried, the Wicklow manager then saw a seven-point lead suddenly become a one-point deficit.

Finally, Tommy Gill ended their barren spell to level the scores and so began the sort of addictive conclusion that only championship football can produce. Wicklow briefly sneaked back in front with a free from Gill, only for Sean Kavanagh to level the match again at the other end.

But, despite having a series of opportunities to win the game outright, Carlow couldn't get themselves back in front and instead the sides must meet again next Sunday - at the same time and same place. For Coffey, there was no way of hiding the relief.

"We have to be glad in the end just to get our second chance," he said. "We could have won it as well and I suppose the game should have been over at half-time.

"It wouldn't have flattered us to be 10 or 12 points up. But, at six points, it only took a goal for them to come back."

Calling Carlow's response a comeback hardly does it justice. It was more like a gold-rush. Lost and hopeless for the first half, they then found scores from anywhere and everywhere, cutting into Wicklow's lead with unnerving wrath.

At the turnaround, they trailed 2-4 to 0-4. Summer rain suddenly arrived uninvited, yet Carlow were only warming up. In a matter of minutes, Brian Kelly and Pat Nolan had squandered their first two goal chances.

Then, 10 minutes in, a Mark Carpenter pass met the fast-approaching wing back Stephen O'Brien and Carlow had finally scored a goal.

For the next quarter-hour, the enthusiastic crowd was treated to a series of missed chances that would ultimately deny Carlow the win.

Willie Quinlan had two shots on goal in the space of a minute yet both were pushed out by Tommy Murphy.

Five genuine point opportunities were also wasted in succession - including two frees from the normally reliable Sean Kavanagh.

Johnny Kavanagh was sprung from the bench and reduced the gap to two and, in the three minutes that surrounded the hour mark, they would press ahead. First came a Sean Kavanagh point from play, followed by a sweet one-two between Brian Farrell and Johnny Kavanagh for the latter's second and then Mark Carpenter's close-range point.

Only for Gill's late revival, Wicklow seemed to be heading for defeat. That left Carlow manager Pat Roe with a mixture of relief and regret, underlined by the fact that his side had hit eight wides in the second half.

"It's relief alright that we weren't 12 points down at half-time," he said, "and then regret that we kicked the game away in the second half.

"Wicklow couldn't get the ball past half way for most of the second half and their keeper made at least three fantastic saves. If we got one of those goal chances and established some daylight then I think we definitely would have won."

For sure, Wicklow will look back on the first half and wonder why they weren't out of sight. Gill was given unforgivable freedom in the attack and yet had two shots desperately blocked by Paudge McGrath.

But he also sent in the ball for Keith Byrne that set up their first goal after 13 minutes and popped over a point of his own on 20 minutes.

Their second goal, on 25 minutes, also involved Gill as he was pulled down in front of goal to set up a Ronan Coffey penalty.

That, however, would be their last score for 40 minutes of football - yet not quite long enough to deny them a second day.

"I am so proud by the way they came back," added Roe, "because they were under pressure all year, especially with all that was said and written about them.