LEINSTER MHC SEMI-FINALS: THE REIGNING provincial champions Dublin were held to a draw at Croke Park yesterday.
Wexford claimed an early goal when Diarmuid O'Keefe scored past goalkeeper Eoin Young, but Dublin then hit a purple patch. Liam Rush found the net twice, before - with only seven minutes gone - Ciarán Brennan fired home the game's fourth goal to put Shay Boland's team up by seven points.
Wexford got another goal before half-time through captain Joe Kelly, but Dublin still led at the interval, 3-6 to 2-5.
Young blocked a Wexford penalty on 38 minutes, but O'Keefe scrambled the sliotar over the line and Wexford continued to eat away at the lead, until Shane Tomkins tied the game with five minutes left. Kevin O'Loughlin restored Dublin's lead, but Michael O'Hanlon equalised with a minute to go.
DUBLIN: E Young; B O'Carroll, D Kelly, S Timlin; M Quilty, C O'Farrell, D Curran (0-1, one free); C Gough (0-1), J O'Callaghan (0-1); K O'Loughlin (0-8, five frees), M Coughlan, D Plunkett (0-1); N McMorrow, L Rush (2-0), C Brennan (1-1). Subs: M Schutte for Young (46 mins); F Clabby for O'Farrell (47); C Dorney for O'Callaghan (50); D Sutcliffe for Brennan (58).
WEXFORD: M Fanning; W Devereux, Matthew O'Hanlon, P Donnelly; S Murphy, E Moore, J Leacy; H Kehoe, A Shore (0-1, 65); S Tomkins (0-2), P Morris (0-5, three frees, one 65), J Kelly (1-0); D O'Keefe (2-0), Michael O'Hanlon (0-5, four frees), J Gahan. Subs: P Kelly for Gahan (28 mins); C Clince for Matthew O'Hanlon (33); L Óg McGovern for Kelly (40); B Nolan for O'Keefe (47).
Referee: T Carroll (Offaly).
