Clare held on for a 2-22 to 1-22 victory over Wexford in an entertaining clash at Ennis.

The hosts looked to be in total control as they stormed 13 points clear – 2-19 to 0-12 after 50 minutes - but Davy Fitzgerald’s charges made a real fight of it, only to run out of time.

Rory O’Connor and Cathal Dunbar pointed first for the visitors but points from Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon and Peter Duggan (free) had the Banner 0-7 to 0-3 ahead after 15 minutes. While Ian Byrne and Aidan Nolan kept Wexford ticking over, Duggan (2), Shane Golden and Podge Collins helped the hosts lead by 0-13 to 0-7 after half an hour.

After Byrne (free), Dunbar and Liam Ryan had halved the deficit, John Conlon’s goal on the stroke of half time ensured the winners of a 1-15 to 0-11 interval advantage.

Duggan’s goal from a penalty five minutes after the restart seemed to have extinguished any lingering Wexford hopes and the gap soared. However, a run of six unanswered points from Rory O’Connor, (2), Diarmuid O’Keeffe, substitute Jack O’Connor, Lee Chin and Kevin Foley reduced the arrears to seven and the impossible suddenly looked plausible after Shaun Murphy’s spectacular volleyed goal on the hour made it 1-18 to 2-19, with 4,245 spectators now on the edge of their seats.

O’Connor and Foley brought it back to a two-point game, as did sub Paul Morris after Duggan boomed over a Clare free but Collins and Ian Galvin steadied the home team with late strikes. O’Connor’s free had the goal between them again and his attempt at a last-gasp leveller from a free yielded naught, Donal Tuohy's late, late save sparing Clare's blushes as they closed in on a quarteer-final place.

Clare - D Tuohy; R Hayes, D McInerney, J Browne; P O'Connor, C Cleary, D Fitzgerald (0-2); S Golden (0-1), C Galvin (0-1); P Duggan (1-6, 1-0pen, 0-6f), T Kelly (0-2), D Ryan (0-4); I Galvin (0-2), J Conlon (1-1), P Collins (0-3). Subs: C Malone for D Fitzgerald, R Taylor for S Golden, J McCarthy for P O'Connor, A McCarthy for D Ryan, A Shanagher for J Conlon.

Wexford - M Fanning; L Ryan (0-1), D Byrne, S Reck; P Foley, S Murphy (1-0), M O’Hanlon; D O’Keeffe (0-1), L Og McGovern (0-2); K Foley (0-2), I Byrne (0-4f), A Nolan (0-1); C Dunbar (0-2), L Chin (0-1), R O’Connor (0-5, 1f). Subs: C McDonald for L Og McGovern, P Morris (0-1) for D Byrne, D Reck for S Reck, J O'Connor (0-2, 1f) for C Dunbar, H Kehoe for A Nolan.

Referee - J Keenan.

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