Dublin and Waterford can't be separated in cracker at Parnell Park

Dublin and Waterford played out a thrilling if ill-tempered draw at Parnell Park where 17 cards were issued in this lively league opener.

Dónal Burke and Stephen Bennett starred for their respective sides as Mattie Kenny and Liam Cahill's men shared the spoils.

It was the home side who started far the brighter at the Donnycarney venue and they went in at the interval four points to the good as a result.

It took the Dubs just 33 seconds to work the scoreboard as Ronan Hayes picked out Rian McBride for the first of the afternoon, before a fine Conor Burke strike from midfield and a Dónal Burke free saw the men in sky blue move three ahead.

Waterford were slow to start and got on the board courtesy of a dead ball from Stephen Bennett on five minutes, and it was that man who would soon give them the lead. He converted a penalty into the bottom left corner after Colin Dunford was stopped in his tracks by Cian O’Callaghan.

O’Callaghan went to the sin bin but the Déise failed to make their numerical advantage count, despite moving into a two point lead. DJ Foran and Austin Gleeson pointed either side of a Dónal Burke effort to move Liam Cahill’s men six to four ahead.

However, the men from the capital soon moved into the ascendancy and asserted their physicality on proceedings - Conor Burke and Fergal Whiteley hitting the scores to draw the match level, before a fine Danny Sutcliffe point and three Dónal Burke frees gave Waterford plenty to think about.

The yellow cards were plentiful on the cusp of half time as Eoghan O’Donnell hit one of the scores of the match from well inside his own half to give Dublin a five point cushion, with a Bennett free providing the Déise their first point in 16 minutes as the half-time whistle sounded