Chin and Rory back in action
Return of duo a major boost
THE FIRST appearance on home soil since last year of both Lee Chin and Rory O’Connor has given Wexford an added boost ahead of their Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash with Clare in Cusack Park, Ennis, on Sunday (2 p.m.).
All eyes will be on the Wexford line-out when Davy Fitzgerald announces his team later in the week as his injury crisis begins to ease.
While both players will be a welcome addition, Fitzgerald must still plan without defender James Breen for the foreseeable future as the Adamstown clubman will undergo surgery this week on a troublesome knee injury.
While Liam Ryan will be available having served a two-match ban, Fitzgerald must still plan without Jack O’Connor (knee) and Paul Morris (knee), while Joe O’Connor (cartilage operation) and Conor Firman (ankle) are still sidelined.
However, ‘keeper Mark Fanning should have recovered from a knock to make himself available, although Eanna Martin proved himself a capable deputy.
Looking back on his first victory over Tipperary as Wexford manager, Fitzgerald said: ‘We deserved to win, one hundred per cent. I was quite happy going in at half-time having held Tipperary to a four-point lead, but I still knew, reduced to 14 players, they would come out fighting.
‘But even when they went eight points up, there was no panic, the lads kept their composure. While the wind was a massive factor we still had to utilise the elements, but the lads showed great character.’
On the new-found status of the league with no relegation, Fitzgerald does not buy into the theory that it’s non-competitive.
‘When you look at that closing quarter you saw how competitive it was. When you play competitively, you play to win, I always want to win, the players want to win.
‘Winning games, particularly in Innovate Wexford Park, is big for us. Look at the amount of youngsters at today’s game, that also makes it so important. Wanting to win is in your nature,’ Fitzgerald said.
The Wexford manager also believes that it’s important for the county financially.
‘I realise how important it is for Wexford to get to a quarter-final at least. Financially it’s huge for the county. We are all given budgets so it’s important when we come looking for more money.’
On the game itself, Fitzgerald added: ‘I believe we created three to four goal chances, three in the second-half, but the final pass went astray. That’s something we will be working on.
‘Tipperary got their goal in the opening minute, but we had two opportunities to clear the ball. After that Eanna Martin did not have a direct shot to save.
‘Our defence played really well, we worked hard all over the pitch, and got the result we deserved,’ he added.
Looking ahead to Clare, Fitzgerald feels that Rory O’Connor, having also got game time during the week with D.C.U., should be available for selection, while Lee Chin is also just about ready to start.
Meanwhile, Wexford Senior footballers will be striving to get back to winning ways when they play Waterford in their Division 4 game at Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday (2 p.m.).
However, they could be without one of their more consistent players, Martin O’Connor, who received a hamstring injury while training with U.C.D. 24 hours after the London debacle, an injury that ruled him out of the college’s semi-final loss at the weekend.
However, apart from O’Connor, there are no further injury concerns in the Wexford camp, and they will welcome back Gavin Sheehan following injury.
When the side returned to training following the disappointing London defeat, manager Paul McLoughlin said they had a full and frank discussion on what went wrong.
‘We are going through a rough time, it’s tough for everybody, as it’s a new place for Wexford football at the moment
‘We are finding it hard, the thing is not going well, but no one is doing it on purpose. We are fighting for our lives in every game so Sunday will be no different.
‘There is nothing easy at the moment, we will just have to dig it out. The main incentive for us is to recover from two weeks ago, play better and improve.’