Lyng lands late Wexford equaliser

NHL DIVISION TWO:CLARE AND Wexford shared the spoils at Cusack Park, Ennis yesterday, when man-of-the-match Diarmuid Lyng sent over a free from inside his half with the last action of the game, to earn the draw – Clare 1-22 Wexford 2-19. It came after an interesting match that saw Clare lead by 10 points late in the first half, only to concede a goal and four points in the last five minutes of the half.

Darach Honan had scored the game’s opening goal and Clare appeared to be cruising until Wexford’s late flurry, that included a Rory Jacob goal, sowed the seeds of doubt. Lyng grabbed the equalising goal in the 56th minute and then followed with a point to give the visitors a deserved lead. It was a ding-dong finish before Lyng slotted home the final score.

Meanwhile, a sharper, crisper Laois deservedly chalked up a 2-19 to 1-12 win at Casement Park, to halt Antrim’s unbeaten run. Willie Hyland rifled over 12 points for the winners, four from play in a man-of-the-match performance.

At Mitchel Park, Ballygalget, two goals and a point in a two-minute spell after half-time set up Carlow for a 3-11 to 3-9 victory over Down.

On Saturday, in Mullingar, Kildare got their first league points following a 4-10 to 0-11 victory over Westmeath.

CLARE: P Brennan; P Vaughan (0-1), C Dillon, D O’Donovan; N O’Connell (0-1, free), J McInerney, P Donnellan; M Murphy, B OConnell (0-1); S Collins (0-1), J Clancy (0-1), D McMahon; D Honan (1-6), J Conlon (0-2), C Ryan (0-9, seven frees). Subs: B Bugler for N O’Connell (49 mins); F Lynch for B O’Connell (53); D Barrett for Murphy (64).

WEXFORD: N Carton; E Doyle, P Roche, K Rossiter; M Travers, C Kenny, R Kehoe; C Farrell (0-1), H Kehoe (0-3); D Lyng (1-9, five frees, one 65), T Waters (0-1), A Shore (0-1), R Jacob (1-3), S Banville (0-1), J Berry. Subs: T Mahon for Waters (54 mins); P Nolan for R Kehoe (66); P Atkinson for Berry (68).

Referee: D O’Driscoll (Limerick).