Dublin hurlers came within 60 seconds of dumping All-Ireland champions Kilkenny out of the Leinster SHC on Sunday – and will get the chance to finish the job on Saturday night.
Anthony Daly’s team led by a point after two minutes of added time in Sunday’s clash at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.
But a last gasp equaliser from TJ Reid ensured the teams must meet again at the same venue on Saturday night.
Dublin boss Anthony Daly said afterwards: “I think we have a great chance. We were right in there. I think we proved a good bit to ourselves today.
“That’s because some people were seriously doubting us and the boys turned around and got stuck in and they’re going away very disappointed now.”
Kilkenny boss Brian Cody was dumbstruck by his side’s failure to beat a team they hammered in the Leinster semi-final last year and couldn’t explain what happened.
Speaking after the game, Cody said: “It’s very difficult to say at this stage. I don’t have the answer to that question right now. We’ll have to sit down and look at things. They caused us a lot of trouble in the second-half.
“They dominated the exchanges and made a lot of things happen for themselves. They used the ball better than we did in the second-half whereas, in the first-half, we’d used it quite well.
“I wasn’t surprised by how Dublin played. I’ve been saying it for a long time that they are a very good team. I was conscious as well that Dublin had two Championship games behind them which brought them on. It was very good preparation for them.”
Cork hurlers were the other headline makers in Sunday’s hurling championship as they defeated a fancied Clare side in the Munster semi-final in Limerick by 0-23 to 0-15.
Waterford, Westmeath and Wexford all won through to the next round of hurling’s All-Ireland qualifiers on Saturday night with wins over Offaly, London and Antrim respectively.
All-Ireland football champions Donegal remain on target to retain their trophy after a 0-12 to 0-9 win over Down in a dour Ulster SFC semi-final match at Breffni Park on Sunday.
Leitrim and London must replay their Connacht SFC semi-final after a 0-13 to 2-7 draw at Carrick-on-Shannon.
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