DORAN IN FITNESS BATTLE
Attacker’s race against time to be ready for Waterford
PODGE DORAN will have a scan on his knee and ankle to determine if he will be fit for Wexford’s All-Ireland Senior hurling quarter-final game with Waterford on Sunday, July 24.
The game will be played in Thurles at 2 p.m. before the clash of Clare and Galway, and it will be preceded by the Wexford Minors’ quarter-final against beaten Munster championship finalists Limerick at 12 noon.
Doran was forced to retire late in the first-half of the county’s thrilling round two qualifier victory over Cork in Semple Stadium on Saturday, having fallen heavily and damaged both his knee and ankle. While he tried to continue he was called ashore within minutes as he was clearly hampered by the injury.
The actual extent of the injuries are not yet known, but he was still suffering on Sunday with stiffness and soreness in both knee and ankle.
‘Podge is attending the physio in Enniscorthy this morning (Monday),’ Dunne explained.
‘He went down heavily and was quite sore following the injury. We will possibly have to await a scan to find out the full extent. Hopefully he will be fit for Waterford.’
Meanwhile, there is somewhat better news regarding corner-back Liam Ryan, who was forced to miss the qualifier victories over both Offaly and Cork with a broken thumb received in a club league game.
‘On Friday, Liam had the cast and pin removed from the thumb. It’s still stiff and sore. On Saturday he was unable to even butter a bread roll in the Horse and Hound with the team,’ Dunne explained.
‘I spoke with him again on Sunday. It’s still somewhat stiff and sore, which I suppose is to be expected. He has two weeks and with treatment we are hoping he will be able to make himself available for the game.
‘Aidan Nolan is also making progress. He had his knee heavily strapped but was able to come into the game late on. He won a couple of vital balls, so hopefully, every day will see improvement,’ Dunne added.
Meanwhile, the Wexford inter- mediate hurlers look forward to their provincial final clash with Kilkenny in Innovate Wexford Park this Wednesday (7.30 p.m.).
Wexford will be hoping to regain the title last held two years ago, but they must do so without defender Simon Donohoe, who was introduced as a substitute in last Saturday’s Senior victory.
Following their semi-final success over Galway, manager Liam Dunne has brought in Eoin Doyle (Shelmaliers) and Patrick O’Connor (St. Martin’s) to the squad, while Oulart-The Ballagh’s Nicky Kirwan is included in the starting 15.
This has resulted in some switches in the team, as a result of the loss of Donohoe. It is also hoped that Jack Kelly will have recovered from a broken toe received in the Galway game.
Wexford: Darragh Hughes; Aaron Maddock, Seán Murphy, Kevin Sheridan; Jack Kelly, Richie Kehoe, Joe O’Connor; Billy Dunne, Tommy Dwyer; Jack Pettit, Danny Martin Carroll, John Doyle; Ryan Mahon, Gary Moore, Nicky Kirwan. Subs. - Ben O’Connor, Dermot O’Leary, Donal Shanley, Ross Donohoe, Shane Murphy, Michael O’Hanlon, Jake Firman, Eoin Doyle, Patrick O’Connor.
WEXFORD CORK 0-23 1-17 ONE OF the most maligned groups of players and mentors to represent Wexford delivered a quite magnificent riposte to the detractors in Semple Stadium, Thurles, on Saturday when they displayed the pride, passion and spirit of old to defeat a shell-shocked Cork side in championship hurling for the first time since 1956.
Liam Dunne and his depleted charges went into this contest as rank outsiders against the same opponents who had ended their season in 2015 by a comfortable eight-point margin. It was generally believed that this would be a bridge too far for Wexford, but the many doubters got the best possible answer as the underdogs produced their best display in two years to secure a coveted quarter-final spot.
It was entirely fitting that team captain Matthew O’Hanlon should provide a direct link to that great team of 60 years ago which was adorned by his late grandfather, Mick, in a teak-tough defence. And while much of the post-game narrative will no doubt be dominated by Cork’s clear decline as a hurling force, let’s give this Wexford team and mentors the credit they so richly deserve.
They were reeled in twice after holding relatively substantial leads, firstly near half-time when Cork hit the last three points to turn a 12-6 deficit into a more manageable three-point gap.
Once again, after Wexford surged 16-11 clear by the 45th minute, they endured a dip in performance levels which was understandable in a tight game which they were never going to dominate from start to finish.
This looked to be more severe though, especially when Cork substitute Daniel Kearney availed of an unfortunate fumble of the wet ball to direct a low shot past Mark Fanning and give his side a 1-15 to 0-17 lead with less than ten minutes left.
Many feared Cork would push on from there, and their body language suggested that several Leeside players expected it would simply happen for them from that point on. They didn’t bargain on the fired-up response from Wexford though, with the victorious players putting their bodies on the line and fighting courageously for every ball as they went on to score six of the last eight points to secure a fantastic victory.
An instant response to that goal was absolutely crucial, and it came from Lee Chin who gave a second-half exhibition on a day when his late club colleague, Mikey Sheil, was fittingly remembered with a respectful minute’s silence before throw-in.
The centre-forward collected Mark Fanning’s puck-out and struck the equaliser from tight to the left sideline, a key score to bring Wexford level and send the confidence coursing through their veins again after that goal blow.
Chin wasn’t the only man to perform heroics in the closing stages, with the outstanding Liam Og McGovern coming into his own with two assists before his own brace of points. Cork substitute Cormac Murphy was only seconds on the field when the St. Anne’s man caught a long Fanning free over him and popped a handpass to the excellent Conor McDonald who restored Wexford’s lead in the 64th minute (0-19 to 1-15).
Dual player Simon Donohoe came into a cauldron for his inter-county Senior hurling debut, keeping tabs on Daniel Kearney as Patrick Horgan levelled from a ’65. Extra-time couldn’t be discounted at this juncture, but Wexford were determined to get the job done in the next five regulation minutes plus three extra.
And they accomplished their goal in rousing fashion before a disappointing crowd for a triple bill of 15,540. McGovern’s short handpass under pressure picked out Chin to make it 0-20 to 1-16, with Conor Lehane firing the 14th of Cork’s 15 wides (Wexford had six) before the lead was doubled.
Damien Cahalane was booked for a foul on Conor McDonald who duly obliged, but there was no time to relax as Lehane replied immediately after a run by Luke O’Farrell (0-21 to 1-17).
It was at this point that Liam Og McGovern showed the class that had marked his arrival as an attacking force to be reckoned with in 2014. He picked off a glorious point from the left after Mark Fanning’s puck-out broke off Conor McDonald and, after Cahalane fired an aimless wide, McGovern repeated the dose with a carbon copy score following a flick on by Chin.
That point arrived 39 seconds into the three added minutes and it proved to be the last score, but the finish was incredibly tense as Wexford packed the defence in a bid to prevent the goal Cork required to force extra-time. Patrick Horgan went low from a free after Matthew O’Hanlon fouled Shane Kingston, but it was blocked and cleared.
Substitute Aidan Nolan, with a heavily-bandaged knee, was introduced to kill the clock and made a timely clearance straight away, while O’Hanlon drove another ball over the sideline.
And when Cahalane lobbed in one last hit and hope effort, Nolan happily drove it into the stand as he had heard the shrill blast of referee Barry Kelly’s whistle which was sweet music to the ears of every Wexford man, woman and child in the home of hurling.
An unchanged team from the Offaly win had gone toe-to-toe with Cork for the first 17 minutes after captain O’Hanlon was successful with the toss.
Indeed, the sides were level no fewer than six times and the gap was never greater than one, with Wexford edging ahead twice while Cork were in the ascendancy on four occasions.
Netminder Mark Fanning was first off the mark from a midfield free after just 38 seconds following a push on Eoin Moore who started at right halfback, with Diarmuid O’Keeffe behind him in the corner on Conor Lehane.
Patrick Horgan replied with his one and only point from play after a James Breen clearance was partially blocked by Lehane, and Alan Cadogan then availed of a fine crossfield pass from Christopher Joyce to make it 2-1.
The Wexford mentors trusted Breen to keep tabs on Cork’s man of the moment who flourished against Dublin, and he repaid the another super showing. Th Cadogan’s sole score, and a Breen was unfortunate to co couple of second-half frees his star continues to rise has been a tremendous a to the team.
Lee Chin caught Fanning out after that Cadogan po duly levelled, before Aidan struck the first of eleven Cor before the break. Wexford o two in contrast, and anoth factor was the discipline of t ners’ defence as Horgan co just one pointed free up to h whereas seven were chalke the other end.
Bill Cooper restored Cor from a Conor Lehane pass Jack O’Connor and David combined to earn a free and McDonald did the needfu seventh minute.
Hawk-Eye was deployed first of three times prior to th to confirm an Alan Cadoga before Lee Chin got a touc poor Anthony Nash clearan Paul Morris promptly edged W 4-3 clear.
Again there was an insta though as Seamus Harnedy of a quick puck-out to William and Luke O’Farrell then ran f to right to receive a short l from Conor Lehane and pus 5-4 ahead.
A sloppy spell followed fe three wides for the Leeside one for their rivals before McDonald punished poor by a rival defender from an Martin clearance with the le
William Egan responded f puck-out, with Pádraig Fo Cork’s Conor O’Sullivan per sweeping roles at this stage a end. It had been nip and tuc
point, but all that changed as xford surged clear with seven nts on the trot between the 17th d 36th minutes. Hawk-Eye gave a positive verdict Conor McDonald’s effort from right after a Paul Morris pass, d the Gorey lad then scored from ree earned by Jack O’Connor. repeated the dose after Podge ran was hauled down, with anothCadogan shot deemed wide by wk-Eye before O’Connor made -6 after Eoin Moore’s line ball m right to left broke off Conor Sullivan. David Dunne’s first threatening o led to a booking for Mark Ellis d another McDonald conversion, d the speedster won another e just over two minutes later with ilar results. Podge Doran was forced off with nee injury and replaced by Harry hoe, and McDonald earned and red from a free to make it 12-6 as r extra minutes were announced. n this spell Cork did garner a reonse, with Conor Lehane ending ir 21-minute barren spell with a ce of points before Horgan’s sole nted free deep in added time after n Conroy fouled Luke O’Farrell. The general view at half-time was t the first ten minutes on the rert would be crucial, and Wexford me up trumps. Horgan - now in the corner on Keeffe with Lehane on the ’40 and rnedy at full-forward - knocked er a quick free conceded by Eoin ore, but the Oulart-The Ballagh lied with a monster 90-metre ced ball from the right after Lene overcarried under pressure m Pádraig Foley. David Dunne really came into his n on the re-start after moving out m the confines of the corner foling Harry Kehoe’s introduction. His run from a Moore pass forced Stephen McDonnell into a trip and a yellow card before McDonald made it 14-10 from the free.
Horgan and McDonald exchanged points from placed balls before Andrew Kenny came on for Eanna Martin who seemed to be dazed after a heavy challenge from Horgan. And when Paul Morris flicked the ball out of a ruck on the right in the 45th minute, Lee Chin split the posts to leave Wexford 16-11 ahead.
A slump followed though as they didn’t score again for quarter of an hour while Cork pulled back three points courtesy of two Horgan frees and Luke O’Farrell. One golden chance was squandered though before O’Farrell’s effort, as Lee Chin caught an Eoin Moore delivery and popped a handpass inside to David Dunne who was forced left by the advancing Anthony Nash and drove the ball wide.
The rain, which had started midway through the third quarter, wasn’t helping matters at this stage, but Dunne nearly grabbed a decisive goal again in the 58th minute. This time Conor McDonald caught a clearance by Andrew Kenny and cleverly found the corner-forward with a handpass under his legs, with Dunne kicking to the right and missing the target.
At least there was the consolation of seeing the play called back for a foul on McDonald, and he tapped over to make it 17-14. The lead-up to that score was a perfect summation of the match, as the far hungrier and more determined Kenny won a 50-50 ball with Seamus Harnedy who was quickly replaced.
It was absorbing stuff at this stage as Luke O’Farrell pulled back a point before Cork’s goal arrived in the 62nd minute. A Mark Ellis clearance slipped out of Pádraig Foley’s grasp, and in an instant Conor Lehane handpassed to Daniel Kearney who netted from the left with a low shot across Mark Fanning (1-15 to 0-17).
Now was the time for Wexford to show what was really in them, and they delivered in spades to crown a wonderful day for this dedicated group.
Wexford: Mark Fanning (0-1 free); Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Matthew O’Hanlon (capt.), James Breen; Eoin Moore (0-1 free), Pádraig Foley, Eanna Martin; Jack O’Connor (0-1), Eoin Conroy; Liam Og McGovern (0-2), Lee Chin (0-4), Podge Doran; Paul Morris (0-1), Conor McDonald (0-13, 10 frees), David Dunne. Subs. - Harry Kehoe for Doran, inj. (34), Andrew Kenny for Martin, inj. (44), Simon Donohoe for O’Connor (64), Cathal Dunbar for Moore (67), Aidan Nolan for Morris (70+2).
Cork: Anthony Nash; Stephen McDonnell (capt.), Damien Cahalane, Conor O’Sullivan; Aidan Walsh, Christopher Joyce, Mark Ellis; Bill Cooper (0-1), William Egan (0-1); Luke O’Farrell (0-3), Seamus Harnedy (0-1), John Cronin; Alan Cadogan (0-1), Patrick Horgan (0-7, 5 frees, 1 ’65), Conor Lehane (0-3). Subs. - Daniel Kearney (1-0) for Cronin (31), Brian Lawton for Cooper (55), Shane Kingston for Harnedy (60), Cormac Murphy for Joyce (64), Mark Coleman for McDonnell (69).
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath).