SEASON STARTS IN GOREY
Hurlers and footballers face students in double-header
IN THE weeks leading up to the end of 2016, all the talk was of Wexford’s new managerial set-ups in both codes.
Now the time has arrived, with the hurlers and footballers launching 2017 with their first competitive games in what is an attractive double-header at Páirc Uí Shíochaáin, Gorey, on Sunday afternoon.
Davy Fitzgerald will send his first Wexford team into competitive action with an opening round game against U.C.D. in the Bord na Móna Walsh Cup. Even if you are still suffering from the festive season excesses, this is an enticing place to be on Sunday, hoping that Wexford start 2017 with a victory.
This game will be followed by an equally attractive Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup clash also involving the Model county and U.C.D., with Seamus McEnaney promising that all his players will see action this month before he decides on his squad for the Allianz Football League.
The trick for Davy Fitzgerald is to show Wexford supporters a whole new approach from the squad, keeping the expectation growing, and building up to a crescendo for their opening league game at home to Limerick next month.
But he must do so without a number of key players as Andrew Shore, Shane Tomkins and Liam Og McGovern are still in rehab following knee operations, which will make them unavailable until March at the earliest.
Still, the mood in the camp has been fantastic as the players have been putting in a huge effort on the training pitches, utilising the Ferns Centre of Excellence to its fullest.
Fortunately for Wexford, they have the best facilities available for training but there will still be plenty of experimentation before the Model county settle into a real game format.
Even still there will be much speculation as to what Davy’s league squad will be, but players like Richie Kehoe and Barry Carton are making a huge bid for inclusion. And with the likes of Lee Chin, Liam Ryan, Matthew O’Hanlon, Eoin Moore, Shaun Murphy, Podge Doran, Paul Morris and Conor McDonald very much to the forefront, one can expect Wexford to seek a victory and set the tone for the games that lie ahead.
The squad will not be decided until later this month, but Oulart-The Ballagh ’keeper Conor O’Leary has opted out, leaving the way for Buffers Alley netminder, Oliver O’Leary, to vie with Mark Fanning for the number one position.
Meanwhile, football manager Seamus McEnaney is trying his best to look no further than a game at a time as he steps up preparations, with U.C.D. his first competitive game since taking charge.
Clearly delighted with the response of his charges, he will be without Michael Furlong, Michael O’Regan and Donal Shanley, all recovering from injury, for Sunday’s game, but will still have a strong squad available, with many new faces also likely to make an appearance.
‘I’m delighted with the players who have bought into the training methods, while their attitude is top class.
‘We will shortly be cutting the squad back to 30, but every player will have two games between O’Byrne Cup and in-house games before the squad is finalised,’ he said.
‘As regards the National League, we are looking no further than the opening game with Limerick,’ he added.
The hurling game will commence at 12.45 p.m. Sunday, with the football at 2.30 p.m.