Wexford defeated Kilkenny by 1-21 to 0-21 after extra time in a thriller at scorching Wexford Park.

This incredible contest had everything, including the most bizarre of Model County clinching goals right at the death.

With a replay looking inevitable, Kilkenny goalkeeper Aaron Duggan dropped the sliothar deep into injury time at the end of extra time and could only look on in despair as it trickled a couple of inches over the line. The eagle-eyed umpire reached for his green flag and Wexford were Leinster champions for the first time in eleven years!

Jack Guiney's injury-time free ensured that the match would go to extra time, with the sides firing over 0-17 each inside the hour of normal time.

Seven points from John Power had helped the Noresiders to a 0-12 to 0-9 half-time lead, with the visitors outscoring their opponents by 0-7 to 0-3 in the second quarter.

Both teams started as selected and Power fired the Cats ahead with a second-minute free only for Wexford corner forward Conor McDonald to reply instantly with an inspirational point from play.

Model County 'keeper Brian Murphy made a fine save to deny Ger Aylward a Kilkenny goal and centre forward Ian Byrne floated over an exquisite long-range free to put the hosts in front for the first time on five minutes.

Rhys Clarke doubled the gap at the end of a menacing move and minor star McDonald was on hand to stroke over the score that made it 0-4 to 0-1 after eight minutes. Power kept the Black & Amber in touch with his second free and the No.10 quickly made it three from three as he slotted another free from the right wing: 0-4 to 0-3 after ten minutes.

Power was stamping his name all over the game and his fourth converted free - this one from long range - levelled the scores up with eleven minutes played. Wexford captain Lee Chin immediately pointed his side back in front only for Aylward to make it level pegging for the third time.

Jack Guiney's free had JJ Doyle's charges ahead by the odd point from eleven after 14 minutes and good Wexford defending kept Power at bay as he tried to kick a Kilkenny goal from close range after gathering possession from a sideline cut.

Power grabbed his first point from play in the seventeenth minute to make it 0-6 each and there were near misses at either end before Richie Reid restored Kilkenny's lead with a lovely point from play in the 20th minute. Aylward doubled the gap but Guiney clipped home another free to keep Wexford in touch. However, Kevin Kelly's point made it 0-9 to 0-7 to the Cats with eight minutes left in the first half.

Centre forward Byrne slammed over a Wexford free from 60 metres and Power followed suit with a Kilkenny free at the other end. The onslaught of converted frees continued as Guiney found the range from the right wing to leave a point in it with three first-half minutes left, 0-10 to 0-9.

Ninety seconds from the short whistle, Kelly fired over a fantastic Kilkenny point from an acute angle and there was a frantic scramble in the Wexford goalmouth after Aylward again came close to finding the net at the end of a weaving run, only to mis-hit his shot.

There was still time for Power to grab another Kilkenny point deep into injury time and that score left three between them at the interval.

A third Kilkenny goal chance came and went at the start of the second half and the impressive Rhys Clarke closed the gap with a super point five minutes after the restart. Full forward Barry Carton's shot dropped over the Cats crossbar to make it a one-point match once more but Kilkenny put their foot on the gas again and Reid drilled over their first point of the second half with 38 minutes on the clock.

In an intense contest, we were treated to some very impressive hooking and blocking from both sets of players and Kilkenny's goal led a bit of a charmed existence as the Model County dropped in a couple of dangerous deliveries with the match hanging very much in the balance.

Power and Guiney swapped frees to leave the match very much in the melting pot as we passed the three-quarters stage, with Kilkenny in front by 0-14 to 0-12.

The mercurial Byrne brought it back to a one-point game again with an inspirational 47th-minute point that suddenly had the large crowd in Wexford Park contemplating the possibility of extra time…

Man of the Match Byrne tied the scores up from a '65' ten minutes from the end but Kelly quickly edged the visitors back in front: 0-15 to 0-14 after 51 minutes. Reid's third point of the match was cancelled out by a Guiney free and Kilkenny's wides tally went up to nine as they struggled to put the game to bed.

Amazingly, on 55 minutes, Wexford No.12 Gary Moore levelled the scores again with a majestic finish from a sideline cut way out on the right wing. Seconds later, Power fluffed a relatively-easy Kilkenny free.

Power redeemed himself by drilling his next free through the sticks three minutes from time and McDonald was unlucky when his 59th-minute effort flew to the right and wide of the posts. A single point still separated the team as we went into the last minute of normal time and there was a dramatic finale as Wexford were awarded a free right in front of the Kilkenny posts a minute into injury time.

Guiney fired his shot between the posts and the full time whistle sounded with the teams level, 0-17 each.

Guiney also provided the first point in extra time when he stroked over a 65th-minute free after a foul on Clarke. Kelly, who had taken over Kilkenny free-taking duties, replied immediately. In the ninth minute of the first period of extra time, Carton was fouled and Guiney again obliged from the free: 0-19 to 0-18 in favour of the hosts.

And Byrne's superb long-range free ensured that the Slaneysiders held a two-point advantage as the half-time whistle sounded for the second time!

Kelly tapped over a simple Kilkenny free in the third minute of the second added period to reduce the margin to the minimum again and the No.12 then converted another free from further out the field after Chin was pulled up for a marginal over-carrying offence.

Kelly's third successive free in as many minutes made it 0-21 to 0-20 to the Cats with five minutes remaining and both sets of players continued to slug it out manfully in draining conditions in the sunny south east.

Two minutes from time, Wexford won a very soft free when Aylward was very harshly penalised for charging and Guiney fired the sliothar over the bar from right of the posts to tie it up again.

A minute of injury time was added and there were unbelievable scenes when luckless Kilkenny goalkeeper Aaron Duggan dropped the ball over his own line in the 22nd(!) minute of injury time to give Wexford a famous win. Tweet

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