IT'S NOT too often that a draw leaves a spring in the step, but that was a feeling shared by all Wexford followers in Cusack Park, Ennis, on Sunday last at the end of a pulsating Allianz Hurling League Division 2 clash which saw the visitors deny Clare victory with a rousing comeback.

The outcome doesn't alter anything in the sense that the Slaneysiders still need to win the remaining four games to be sure of gaining a place in the final.

However, the manner of their revival and the spirit shown was extremely impressive, and it was arguably the first day since the heave against John Meyler in 2008 when the players backed up their deeds off the field inside the white lines of battle.

The scoreboard painted a depressing picture after 30 minutes as wind-aided Clare led by a whopping 1-13 to 0-6. They had 1-10 amassed before striking their first wide, and big corner-forward Darach Honan was rampant as he took Keith Rossiter for 1-2 before adding another 0-2 when Eoin Doyle was moved on to him after 18 minutes.

While Rory Jacob had shown early promise by firing the first two balls sent into his corner over the bar, Clare's goal came in between as Honan went low to grab a long delivery and rounded Rossiter before giving debutant Noel Carton no chance.

Clare were quicker to the ball and their touch was vastly superior, with Jim Berry brought out as a third midfielder in a bid to ease the flow to their forwards.

It was 1-11 to 0-5 after 27 minutes when Tomás Waters bustled forward and earned a penalty, but Diarmuid Lyng's effort went over the bar to ironic cheers from the home crowd.

They weren't so smart by the same stage in the second-half though when it looked like a superb Wexford comeback might even yield victory.

Darach Honan should have added a second goal when he fired high and over while clean through in the 30th minute, and this let-off spurred Wexford to life.

Indeed, the 1-4 they hit to just 0-1 in reply before the break was crucial, particularly the goal which was finished with a half-hit Rory Jacob strike after he ghosted in behind Stephen Banville to latch on to an Andrew Shore centre.

Given what had gone before, Wexford would have settled for the interval deficit of 1-14 to 1-10. And although they still had it all to do 15 minutes into the new half when trailing by 1-19 to 1-15, they stormed into the game when it mattered most.

A number of things contributed, chiefly the fact that they took over completely in the middle third of the field. Harry Kehoe in particular and Colm Farrell stormed into proceedings, Diarmuid Lyng made some spectacular catches from puck-outs, while Malachy Travers managed a number of vital clearances.

The fact that both sides played third midfielders also played into Wexford's hands with the wind, as the positional sense of their free man at the back, Keith Rossiter, was far superior to his Clare counterpart, Brendan Bugler, whose first touch was awful.

After points from Lyng (free) and Colm Farrell reduced arrears to three (1-19 to 1-16), the team captain planted a beauty of a goal with 14 minutes left following a Stephen Banville handpass.

A couple of wides followed before Lyng hit the lead point, with Wexford enjoying a let-off when Seán Collins blazed over from a pull right in front of goal. Lyng grabbed the resultant puck-out and struck it over, but Clare edged ahead again via Honan and Colin Ryan.

Ironically, Honan then blotted his copybook, throwing his hurl after Eoin Doyle dispossessed him. It left Lyng with a chance to equalise from an 85-metre free with the last puck, and he showed nerves of steel to oblige. Wexford launched a marvellous comeback to share the spoils with Clare in Ennis

on Sunday

- In Ennis WEXFORD CLARE ALAN AHERNE