FABULOUS FEBRUARY
County teams end superb month with perfect record
IT HAS been a fabulous February for Wexford teams, collecting favourable results they will be hoping to build upon through the month of March.
Both Wexford Senior teams are top of their respective Allianz League groups, with the hurlers having won their two outings, while the footballers also maintain a one hundred per cent record following three games.
The month also saw a victory for the Under-21 footballers, while the ladies’ footballers and both camogie teams also recorded impressive victories. Indeed, there has been nothing but success for all since the ladies’ football team lost to Tipperary on January 29, making February a month to savour.
Wexford hurlers will hope to go one step closer to securing promotion when they entertain Kerry at Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday, a game that could see Jack Guiney having his first competitive outing under manager Davy Fitzgerald.
The Rathnure man figured in the challenge against Waterford in Kilmore on Sunday, and he is likely to occupy a place in attack in a side that most likely see two to three changes in personnel from the victory in Galway.
It is expected that a couple of fringe players will be given an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the 26-player panel.
Fitzgerald is determined to give Kerry the respect they deserve, saying ‘should we take our foot off the pedal we could be in trouble. We cannot afford to be complacent.
‘I am very wary of this game and the following two weeks. We all know the problems we have had against the likes of Laois and Offaly in the past, so we cannot afford to be lackadaisical.
‘Kerry play a different style of hurling this year, they play the short passing and run at players. They have a Waterford man in charge, so he is imposing this style of play. We saw against Waterford last Sunday the problems this can bring, as we are not used to playing against that style.
Meanwhile, the Wexford Senior footballers, who went top of Division 4 with last Sunday’s narrow victory over Waterford, make the short journey to Aughrim next Sunday to take on neighbours Wicklow.
With both Colm Kehoe and Ben Brosnan having come through a full 70 minutes, Wexford’s only injury doubts are P. J. Banville (hamstring) and John Leacy (ankle ligaments), both of whom missed the Waterford victory.
Wicklow may have had an indifferent start to their league campaign, but this will still be a difficult game for the Model county side. However, they will still be expected to maintain their one hundred per cent start to the league.
On this Wednesday evening, the Under-21 footballers, fresh from their handsome victory over Carlow, travel to Gracefield to take on Offaly in their Leinster quarter-final.
While the victory over the Barrowsiders was comfortable, they can expect a much stiffer challenge on this occasion.