Club football hits a new low as three sides are thrashed

THE MANNER in which the Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship group games bottomed out is just not right. One is referencing the three Group A games where the final scorelines were an embarrassment to the championship but also questioned the integrity of those involved.

Just for the record the final scorelines went like this - Castletown 5-20, Sarsfields 1-12; Kilanerin 6-20, Fethard 1-9; St. Martin’s 3-16, St. Anne’s 0-6.

These are winning margins of 20 points for Castletown, 26 points for Kilanerin, and 19 points for St. Martin’s.

Not taking anything away from the winning teams, but the results marked an embarrassing evening in the history of Wexford football and left one wondering where the game is taking us.

Having seen the results, with the games being played on Saturday evening, one was given plenty of thinking time over the weekend. It wasn’t easy to come up with an explanation as to what could have gone wrong.

Yes, both Sarsfields and Fethard were out of the title race, but St. Anne’s had a quarter-final to look forward to.

While it’s a big ask to expect clubs who are already eliminated to go out and put on a performance, surely the pride of the club and parish should take priority, with the players aspiring to give of their best. But in these instances the end result must have been of little consequence to the three losing clubs.

Of course, some will say with their championship aspirations already decided that the players were concentrating on hurling.

For Sarsfields it was a huge blow to confidence with a relegation game ahead, while for St. Anne’s it was demoralising to lose by such a margin to their neighbours. As for Fethard, they had nothing but pride to play for and that even disappeared out the window.

For those clubs this would appear as if it was a journey not worth taking. But what of the paying public? Surely they deserved better.

Yet another issue, is that such results can lead to further damage to the game of football in the county, which is already suffering, having been relegated back to Division 4 while losing the championship qualifier to lowly Waterford.

Last Saturday evening was an opportunity for footballers to send out a positive message, although it must be said that Friday evening’s games were hugely competitive, with the results going down to the wire. But Saturday evening’s games must have sent the county into near meltdown.

There was little talk about who had secured their quarter-final spots, rather the damage dealt football in the county, as this was a further chance of redemption lost in a championship that has been low key, and played out with a very poor standard.

The football throughout the campaign has been erratic, low quality, with few stand-out performances. The games have just heightened where football is at the moment, as the few stand-out exhibitions have come from veterans like Matty Forde and Ciarán Lyng, whose allround play and finishing power has demonstrated what is lacking in the younger players coming through.

Such results are hard to take. It is maddening, frustrating, wrong on so many levels, but overall it is just sad.

The county is steeped in such football history. This year we are celebrating the All-Ireland four-in-row, where along with Kerry we were joined by a great Dublin side on Sunday.

It may be only another twelve months before both Wexford and Kerry are knocked off their lofty perch but more important is the message being sent out that football is no longer a priority in the county.

There was a time not long ago when Wexford were competing at the highest level in Leinster, qualifying for an All-Ireland semi-final under Jason Ryan’s stewardship ten years ago.

Of course, there were also long periods when they had to take a back seat to their hurling counterparts, but they were still always competitive, with supporters always appreciating their efforts.

Now those lofty attributes are a thing of the past. The way those clubs succumbed was alarming. Players with ability and passion, with pride in the jersey and no shortage of resources at their disposal, were simply blown away.

Despite all the negativity there will be green shoots, there will be signs of hope from the knockout games, and perhaps from those little acorns, a mighty tree will again grow.