Nagging doubts in our minds after a demoralising loss

TO UNDERESTIMATE Kilkenny is a foolish exercise, and that’s why I was taking a cautious approach to Sunday’s semi-final. Nonetheless, I remarked to anyone who asked beforehand that I was expecting a home victory, and that wasn’t borne out of any lack of respect for our formidable neighbours.

I simply believed that Wexford had played well enough during the campaign thus far to be ready for anything Kilkenny might throw at them on this occasion.

I reckoned the win over Galway would add another pep to our step, and on the basis of general form I was confident that we were well placed to book a place in the final versus Tipperary.

Clearly, there was hope in the hearts of Wexford supporters too, because the roads around the venue were thronged several hours before throw-in.

Indeed, I happened to be driving past at 10.30 a.m., and even at that stage some of the prime parking spots directly across from the main entrance were occupied.

With such fevered anticipation among supporters, it was a great pity that the opportunities to really get behind the team were so few and far between.

Apart from those goals early in either half from Aidan Nolan and Conor McDonald, the Wexford fans were generally subdued and with very good reason.

On Sunday we came up against a team prepared by the best manager in the history of hurling in my humble opinion.

It was bizarre, and quite pathetic, to read that Brian Cody was written off by some observers purely on the basis of a couple of early-season defeats.

In their quest for an attention-grabbing headline, they ignored the true capabilities of a truly gifted leader of men.

There’s no guarantee that Kilkenny will beat Tipperary next Sunday, or that they will be as superior when we meet again on June 9 for that matter, but Cody deserves to have that job for as long as he wants it as far as I’m concerned.

Of course, our own situation is of more concern, because I think we all left the Park on Sunday with nagging doubts floating around in our minds.

Until the injured players return, we lack squad depth, and that must be glaringly obvious to everyone, especially the mentors.

And we need to pay as much attention to our opening two championship games, home to Dublin and away to Offaly, as the ones to follow versus Galway and Kilkenny, because a defeat of that nature has to leave a team in a somewhat vulnerable position.

I can’t let this column pass without mentioning another example of the G.A.A’s disregard for the paying public either.

It was announced through official channels in the immediate hours after our win against Galway that the semi-final would be on Saturday at 4 p.m.

People would have made immediate plans around that fixture, especially on a holiday weekend, and then what happens? Monday afternoon arrives and it’s changed to Sunday at 2 p.m.

It’s in spite of the authorities, and not because of them, that nearly 16 and a half thousand people still showed up for the game.

Sadly though, that huge crowd is also the reason why the G.A.A. will continue to behave in this manner; they know that the crowds will keep flocking to the games, no matter how they’re treated.

Obviously, Kilkenny weren’t going to be playing in a direct clash with St. Kieran’s in the All-Ireland Colleges final, but why couldn’t it all have been ironed out directly after the Galway game?

The focus moves to club football this coming weekend, with the first round championship games down for decision slightly behind schedule.

However, it’s been raining virtually non-stop for 18 hours as I write this column early Monday afternoon, and some of the venues must be rated seriously doubtful to host matches even at this early stage of the week.

Don’t be surprised to see further postponements, or changes in location from our fixtures list at the very least, because the weather is nobody’s friend right now.