It's just as well that this game at Croke Park yesterday ended in a draw - the replay will give the teams a chance to prove that they can reach a higher standard.
The match proved more of an exhibition of how to give away ball than the expected top-class clash between two well-prepared teams. Only three forwards showed an ability to take their chances - Dublin's Liam Og O hEineachain and Stephen Mills and Wexford's Liam Murphy.
Fortunately for Wexford, midfielders Diarmuid Kinsella and Eric Bradley were in scoring form. The ever-alert Kinsella scored the equaliser with the last of his four points in the last minute.
Kinsella was also involved in Wexford's first goal, an important score in the second minute of the second half, after Dublin had led by six points, 1-8 to 0-5, at halftime.
But even this score was sloppy in its execution, Kinsella's badly-struck free going off Dublin full back Nicky Cleere into the net. The score nonetheless inspired Wexford and put Dublin somewhat on the back foot.
Seven minutes later Wexford, now playing with the wind, struck for a second goal that turned a bizarre match on its head. This time JJ Doyle supplied the initial shot for Bradley to smash the ball with his fist to the net.
Liam Murphy put Wexford on level terms following a mistake by Dublin goalkeeper Vincent Galvin.
The game was nip and tuck from this point onwards, with both sides taking the lead and losing it again: but the play was marred by some of the worst attempts at scoring seen at this level for some time. Even O hEineachain could not escape criticism in this regard and JJ Doyle and Liam Murphy ended up equally at fault.
But perhaps Wexford goalkeeper Peter Cooney committed the worst errors of the match with two poor kick outs, the first of which was punished by a Brian McEvoy goal. Cooney's second weak delivery almost resulted in another Dublin goal, but Stephen Mills's shot came back off the bar.
The Dublin defenders had started as though they had the measure of the Wexford frontrunners, but the gaps appeared as the game progressed.
Inconsistent refereeing - the throw seemed to be allowed and there were other weird decisions - added to the uncertainty of a match which was sabotaged to an extent by the swirling wind.
Dublin: V Galvin; A Holly, N Cleere (own goal), N O'Driscoll; C Burke, P Casey, A Cleere; C Murphy (0-1), K Devine; S McCann (0-1), L Og O hEineachain (0-5, two frees), C O'Driscoll; S Mills (0-5, three frees), B McEvoy (1-1), G Joyce. Subs: A Brogan for C O'Driscoll (half-time); C Keaney for C Burke (45 mins); D McGee for McCann (55 mins).
Wexford: P Cooney; J Dunbar, W Delaney, R Magee; M Sheehan, D Murphy, N Murphy; E Bradley (1-0), D Kinsella (0-4, three frees); D Murphy, B Byrne (0-1), JJ Doyle (0-1); L Mur- phy (0-4), K Smith, G McCarthy. Sub: M Kehoe for Murphy (54 mins).
Referee: E Whelan (Laois).
