No fear of taking Offaly for granted after league defeat
WEXFORD HURLING has not reached any dizzy heights since 2014 which make Saturday’s qualifier opening round game with Offaly all the more important. Since the Dublin provincial championship defeat one has been constantly hearing of the shortcomings of the side, but if ever a team was decimated with injury it’s the current Senior hurling squad.
Some say Offaly will not be as formidable a side as in the past. More will say that Wexford could have drawn tougher opponents but, given the injury crisis that has hit the side, the midlanders will come to Innovate Wexford Park confident of keeping their championship alive, having picked up their game following an early lapse to Westmeath.
If there was ever going to be a backlash it could come from Offaly this Saturday. They were put under huge pressure following that championship defeat, but having bounced back with some positive results they will arrive in Wexford with a newfound pep in their step.
Now Wexford are back on home turf, counting on a combination of a gameplan and an appetite to reverse their losing sequence. Offaly can expect an angry host that will hope to turn their fury against the men in green and gold.
Innovate Wexford Park has historically not been a happy hunting ground for the home side, having lost crucial league games in their quest for promotion, but still their championship record on this turf has been hugely impressive.
One thing is certain though: Wexford will not be taking Offaly for granted. When these sides last met just a short few months back in the league, Wexford scored two goals in as many opening minutes but dramatically lost out to the midlanders, a defeat that is still itching at the Model county players.
Manager Liam Dunne and his backroom team will need to be shrewd with their selection, but given the injury crisis that has beset his camp, his choice is becoming more limited with each passing day. There’s no doubt that Dunne and his charges are under huge pressure to deliver a result. Much of this is because Wexford has lived on the glories of the past, and is looked upon as a traditional hurling county, but few still understand that we have slipped down the pecking order to being rank championship outsiders.
Wexford will not let go of the past which is a problem with hurling in the county. Wexford have had to build from scratch with limited under-age success.
It has been a long, slow walk, and we are nowhere near where we would have hoped to be. Hurling has been stagnant in the county for so many years that it has taken considerable time to pick up at under-age level.
While this has been addressed with three provincial Under-21 titles, coupled with the fact that the Minors are in Sunday’s Leinster final, it has still to follow through to Senior level. Wexford need to get the balance right but that has not been easy given the injury crisis which makes control of their own destiny all the more difficult.
Wexford cannot allow themselves to get too hyped up for Saturday afternoon’s game. Any team can be up for it but Wexford need to be in control of their own game. They will be met by a physically aggressive Offaly outfit, so they will need to be sharp in their use of the ball. They will need to put pressure on, and play with intelligence both on and off the ball.
A victory could signal a new beginning for Wexford hurling and the under-fire Liam Dunne and his backroom team. If Wexford can prove themselves on this stage they could become a more imposing side in the championship.
It’s the beginning of a huge weekend for Wexford hurling with the Minors hoping to end a 31-year barren spell without a provincial title in this grade.
Let’s be positive and come out in support as only Wexford supporters can, as it would go a long way towards making it a double celebration come Sunday afternoon.
Just to finish, Wexford footballers have blown their season, with defeat to Fermanagh in the qualifiers bringing a premature end. It was a hugely disappointing season for them. On the basis of results a whole new review is needed.
Congratulations to the Junior footballers on putting provincial titles back-to-back. Now it’s on to an All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo next month.