Ball So far, so good, as new bosses put Wexford in picture
AFTER MASTERMINDING Wexford’s return to the top flight in the hurling league, many believe that Davy Fitzgerald has already achieved despite being only five months into the job. On taking the role in October, Fitzgerald admitted that it might take a couple of seasons to get the Slaneysiders back to Division 1A.
At the end of January this is what he said: ‘Limerick and Galway are our first two games. They’ll be massive tough games. I think we’ll learn a lot but I don’t think we’ll get out of 1B this year. You are hoping over the next two years we’ll get out of that and be challenging in the top three or four’.
However, the Clareman’s master plan is ahead of schedule. There will be a certain satisfaction for Fitzgerald in what he has achieved.
When he first met then County Chairman, Diarmuid Devereux, back in October having relinquished the Clare post, it took several meetings, telephone calls, and the passion of the Wexford leader to convince the successful manager that Wexford offered him a huge challenge.
Devereux refused to take ‘no’ for an answer, and as Fitzgerald has stressed on numerous occasions since his appointment, it was the sheer passion of the St. Patrick’s clubman that won him over.
So on that county final day in Wexford Park the Fitzgerald/Devereux factor unfolded as they paraded through the tunnel in Innovate Wexford Park, beginning what has been a marvellous journey so far.
In fact, it was a double journey for Devereux as a few short weeks later he announced Monaghan native, Seamus McEnaney, as the county’s Senior football manager. The motivation behind this was not to leave football on the back burner and on the evidence so far, it has proved a hugely successful double act for Devereux, as the footballers have also secured promotion out of the depths of Division 4.
The thing I like most about both managers is that they will never die wondering, nor will their teams ever fail for endeavour. They give everything the full monty, which in turn infects the players.
They put personal pride at stake, with the result that Wexford can be very effective when the force is with them as both Limerick and Galway quickly found out. Wexford now have the right mentality so it’s the little things that must be got right to make them serious challengers to the more highly-rated sides.
The hurlers have that opportunity against Kilkenny in a quarter-final clash that will quickly show where the county is at exactly at this very moment, while the footballers have that major matter of a final with Westmeath to put last Sunday’s embarrassment behind them.
At the tail end of last season few expected Wexford hurlers to be in this special place. In a lifetime covering G.A.A. I cannot think of a National League that has thrown up so much in the way of victories, shock defeats, and top sides failing to achieve their goal.
Tipperary last Sunday lost their first game in some twelve months against an inconsistent Cork outfit, whom many thought were fodder for relegation. Kilkenny scrambled into the quarter-finals in their final game, while both Dublin and Clare arer left in a relegation battle to preserve their Division 1A status. And of course, Galway and Limerick failed to achieve promotion from Division 1B.
In the middle of all this Fitzgerald created a situation where Wexford quickly had everyone talking after the opening round victory over Limerick, followed by a huge win over Galway in Salthill seven days later, which ended the so-called glamour final round game in Division 1B involving Limerick and Galway, both of whom just ended up playing for places.
Now everyone is talking about Wexford versus Kilkenny again. Supporters are now regularly talking about the heavy-hitters of Wexford G.A.A., and that Devereux/Fitzgerald/McEnaney axis.
That picture from Wexford county final day will surface on many a computer this week.