Hurlers blow big chance
A GLORIOUS chance of victory slipped from Wexford’s grasp before 5,223 spectators in Wexford Park on April 10, 2005, when shoddy finishing cost them dearly in a 0-19 to 2-10 Allianz League Division 1 defeat to Galway.
The prospects of reaching the final for the first time in twelve years took a battering as the more accurate westerners struck four unanswered scores in the last 14 minutes to forge a most frustrating success from Wexford’s point of view.
There was a portent of things to come when the normally-accurate Paul Carley landed an early shot into Liam Donoghue’s lap, and this pattern was repeated as some of Seamus Murphy’s players seemed to be hit by a lack of confidence.
In contrast, Galway had a scoring ace in the country’s leading marksman at the time, Ger Farragher.
It was the year when, as an experiment, two points rather than one was the reward for a successfully converted line ball. And Castlegar clubman Farragher produced the first one to be seen in Wexford Park as part of his overall twelve-point haul.
The first Wexford goal arrived in the 16th minute, when Rory McCarthy could have tried for a point but opted instead to send a lovely low pass to Nigel Higgins who was hauled down by Liam Donoghue as he attempted to get past the goalkeeper.
The netminder was duly yellow-carded which meant, under the experimental rules, that he wasn’t entitled to play any further part in proceedings and was replaced by Paul Dullaghan. The rival number one, Damien Fitzhenry, planted the penalty in the net, and Wexford went on to lead by 1-7 to 0-9 at half-time.
Although Galway moved 0-13 to 1-7 clear on the restart, the home side drew level courtesy of Paul Carley (free), Nigel Higgins and captain Michael Jacob.
Farragher (free and play) made it 0-15 to 1-10 before Des Mythen flicked a Nigel Higgins pass to the net, but Wexford - who finished with 13 wides - didn’t score again.
A series of gilt-edged chances were squandered, whereas Galway finished on a high with the winning points from Eugene Cloonan, Farragher (free), Damien Hayes, and one final Farragher placed ball.
Wexford: Damien Fitzhenry (1-0 pen.); Malachy Travers, David O’Connor, Keith Rossiter; Declan Ruth, Darren Stamp, Diarmuid Lyng; Rory McCarthy (0-1), Michael Jacob (capt., 0-1); Eoin Quigley (0-1), Willie Doran, Paul Carley (0-4, 3 frees, 1 ’65); Nigel Higgins (0-1), Rory Jacob (0-2), Des Mythen (1-0). Subs. - Colm Kehoe for Rossiter (yellow card), Redmond Barry for Carley, Micheál Jordan for M. Jacob, Barry Lambert for Doran.