Scallan expects re-match to go down to the wire

WEXFORD HAVE the skill and confidence to break a 31-year barren spell and lift the Leinster Minor hurling championship title.

It’s an unusual final pairing in many ways, the Wexford/Dublin match-up, with the once-dominant Kilkenny disappearing at the semi-final stage when they lost out to the Dubs following extra-time.

Wexford will come to Croke Park determined to achieve a victory, continuing the great under-age success set by the county’s Under-21 hurlers who won three provincial titles in a row, before relinquishing their crown to Dublin in this year’s quarter-final.

Wexford manager Eamonn Scallan, who set out his side’s stall from a very early stage, reports no injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s showdown so, along with his backroom team, he will select from a full squad of players.

It will be the moment of truth for this talented young Wexford side, but Scallan needs no reminding of the challenge facing them, even though they defeated their opponents following extra-time in the group stages of the championship.

With the players having com- pleted their State examinations, it was back to full squad training for the final.

‘We coped with the examinations as best as possible. That’s a problem for every county. Luckily the teams had qualified for the final. I would sooner be in a final prior to examinations rather than face into semi-finals on their completion. Munster have still to play their semi-finals,’ Scallan said.

‘We coped well during the exams which were also hugely important for the players. We fitted in some preparations and now we are fully back into training.’

Scallan recognises the fact that while Wexford will have got better, Dublin will also have brought a degree of improvement from when the sides last met.

‘Dublin will go in as big favourites based on the way they recovered from the Wexford defeat.

‘They subsequently played Kilkenny and there’s no way that game should have gone to extra-time. Dublin were the dominant side in that game and played exceptionally well. If they had taken their chances they would have won the game in normal time.

‘Dublin will have their gameplan, and we will have our own plan. That’s the way it is now. The Dubs are a big team and will bring their own physicality, but we matched them in physicality when we last met.

‘I’m confident the players will also be able to cope with Croke Park. It’s big pitch, and both sides will be seeking to implement their own gameplan, particularly around the vast midfield area.

‘This will also be about having the players mentally prepared. Dublin will be singing off a similar hymn sheet. We played our best hurling against Dublin. Against Offaly we gave an outstanding display for some 15 to 20 minutes.

‘Every inter-county team is now trying to create space in midfield to try to exploit their opponents. The one thing Dublin will bring to this game is a real will to win but we will bring the same agenda.

‘When we last met, at the end of the day, both sides cancelled each other out, and matched each other in most sectors. No one team dominated the game for any lengthy spells. We only won it in the last few minutes of extra-time.

‘I expect it to be no different this time, it will be close, hard-fought, with no doubt an abundance of quality hurling. This is a game that’s also likely to go right down to the wire.’

Wexford have a fully-fit squad, who looked lively in training as they continued their preparations under Scallan and Tom Mullally.