A daunting start in Cork
THE WEXFORD camogie side get their All-Ireland Senior championship campaign off to a daunting start when they travel to face favourites Cork on Saturday evening.
Martin Carey’s charges go into the game with plenty of scope for improvement after failing to make the National League semi-finals before being well beaten by Kilkenny in the Leinster championship penultimate round.
Despite the fact that nobody outside the Wexford camp is giving them any hope of getting a result down on Leeside, it hardly eases the pressure on the Slaneysiders.
Carey has got time to repair the damage previously inflicted on this team, but a hiding is not beyond the realms of possibility if his side aren’t considerably better than they were against his native Kilkenny
On top of that, he will have plenty of shuffling to do to his team from that game as a spate of injuries have taken their toll.
Una Leacy is out for an extended period after damaging her knee in that game, while Amy Cardiff, who was also hurt in the Leinster semi-final, is abroad for the summer.
Dual star Chloe Foxe has been struggling with a hamstring injury for some time and that flared up again in Wexford’s win against Kildare in the Leinster football quarter-final.
Elsewhere, after sustaining a broken foot for her club, Craanford-Monaseed, Una Sinnott is also out of contention for the early rounds.
Three of those started last time out while Foxe has previously been a regular up until the injury and would be sure to start if fully fit. It all means Wexford will likely begin their championship campaign with their most inexperienced side in recent memory.
The Cork game might help or hurt confidence levels, depending on the end result, but it certainly won’t define the whole campaign.
Wexford’s second Group 2 game will be at home to Tipperary on June 23, and it will be followed by another winnable match away to Offaly on July 7.
The championship continues seven days later when Wexford host Dublin, the side that beat them in last season’s All-Ireland quarter-final.
They round out the group stages with what should be a formality against Meath on July 21. A top three spot in the round-robin table will send the Slaneysiders into the knockout stages.
Wexford squad: Emma Kiely, Chloe Cash, Clodagh Jackman (Glynn-Barntown), Laura Brennan, Jackie Quigley, Aoife Guiney, Emma O’Connor, Leanne Foley (Rathnure), Liza Bates (Duffry Rovers), Aine Lacey, Lauren Murphy (St. Ibar’s/ Shelmalier), Katie O’Connor, Sarah O’Connor, Linda Bolger, Chloe Foxe, Ciara O’Connor, Anna Hennessy, Alannah Davis (St. Martin’s), Ciara Storey, Shauna Sinnott, Shelley Kehoe, Stacey Kehoe, Anais Curran, Una Leacy (Oulart-The Ballagh), Derbhla Doyle (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Aoife McCrea (Rapparees), Joanne Dillon (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown), Orla Molloy (Naomh Eanna), Sorcha Foley (Buffers Alley), Michelle Kehoe (Monageer-Boolavogue), Kate Kirwan (Bunclody), Megan Cullen, Doireann Cullen (Castletown-Liam Mellows), Una Sinnott (Craanford-Monaseed).