‘Delighted’ with win
Third win on trot for hurlers versus the Cats
WEXFORD RECORDED their third win on the bounce against Kilkenny, extending their unbeaten run against the old enemy to six games, and manager Davy Fitzgerald could not hide his delight at their latest Allianz Hurling League victory at a windswept Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday.
Fitzgerald said his team showed great composure to grind out a victory. Wexford were leading by seven points at half-time and had to hold off a second period Kilkenny recovery.
And having gone behind, they showed enough determination and skill to respond with two late match-winning scores, and all this after the visitors had hit them for 1-6 without reply during the early period of that second half.
‘We’re delighted to get the victory,’ Fitzgerald said. ‘I honestly felt we should have gone in more than seven points up at half-time.
‘We should, in my opinion, have been ten to eleven ahead. But just the same as against Clare, the lads took their foot off the pedal approaching half-time and conceded scores.
‘Look, we addressed the issues at half-time. I called for more character among other things and we got that in the second-half, I believe. Those boys will never give up.’
Fitzgerald agreed that the substitutes made a major contribution to that second-half victory effort into the gale.
‘The substitutes had a big impact. Lee (Chin) exerted great influence in the closing 20 minutes, got onto a lot of ball, but more importantly utilised his possession well. It was a huge effort from the boys, but we’ll take it a game at a time.’
On his record against Kilkenny, Fitzgerald added: ‘I’ve great respect for Kilkenny and Brian Cody. I measure ourselves against the likes of Kilkenny while I measure myself against Brian Cody for whom I’ve great respect. I really love those challenges. That is what keeps me going.’
Kilkenny manager Cody was happy with his team. ‘They put up the good fight. We are satisfied we had opportunities to win the game but their substitutes influenced the outcome, big time. Lee Chin is a very good hurler, he would be on any team.’
Cody was impressed with Wexford’s style of play. ‘Wexford are a very good team, they are very good at the way they play,’ he added.
Neither manager is in favour of the proposed black card being introduced to hurling.
‘I don’t know where it’s coming from. I suppose it’s in football and they feel they have to bring it into hurling. There are committees in Croke Park who have to justify themselves. It’s hilarious really,’ Cody said.
Fitzgerald pleaded to ‘leave our great game alone. The referees are there and will call the decisions for dangerous play. Referees let the game flow, and are capable of making the decisions, leave the game alone’.
Wexford now look ahead to Croke Park and Dublin on Saturday next at 5 p.m., where a victory would likely secure their passage through to the knockout stages.
However, the side is expected to show little change from Sunday’s starting 15, as Fitzgerald continues to ease his injured played back into the game.
‘I don’t believe Lee (Chin), Matthew (O’Hanlon) or Dee (O’Keeffe) will start the game. They are only just back, stepping up their training, but they are not yet ready for 70 minutes’ hurling. They are getting there but not 70 minutes just yet.’
Meanwhile, Wexford Senior footballers will be hoping to record their third successive victory when they entertain London in their Allianz League Division 4 game at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday at 12 noon.
Having recorded back-to-back victories over Carlow and Waterford, manager Paul Galvin will be hoping to build on this to maintain their push towards promotion. At the same time the surviving players will be looking to avenge last year’s shocking defeat to the exiles in Ruislip.