Wexford People

Footballer­s appeal against Waters ban

- BY BRENDAN FURLONG

WEXFORD HAVE lodged an appeal into the sending-off of Daithí Waters in the hope that he will be available for Saturday’s crucial Allianz Football League game with Offaly at Innovate Wexford Park (3 p.m.).

Waters was red carded in the defeat to Longford, but team manager Paul McLoughlin has indicated ‘we are appealing the decision as we feel the decision was very harsh.

‘While we have to improve on our discipline, I still believe the sending-off was harsh. Discipline is still something we are working on,’ he added.

Time will decide if the St. Martin’s clubman will be available as the appeal is not likely to be heard until Thursday night.

Wexford have endured a testing league campaign, as they still await their first points, making their clash with Offaly all the more important. Incidental­ly, the game is of equal importance to the midlanders who are also still point-less.

The weather has not been the sunniest to put it mildly, particular­ly down Wexford way as the county had to endure a severe snow storm, but manager McLoughlin feels the week’s rest will have helped the players.

‘We had some players carrying niggling injuries so the rest will have been of benefit to them. Both Mark Rossiter (ankle) and Mark O’Neill (hamstring) have been struggling so it’s a case of wait and see,’ he added.

When McLoughlin set out on 2018 he was presented with a difficult situation with the loss of so many experience­d players, leaving him to adopt a youth policy.

Looking ahead to Offaly, he said: ‘Both sides need a win, it’s as simple as that. We have been doing reasonably well but not well enough to win. We have to try to do that bit better, so that is what we will be looking for this Saturday.’

The importance of the game is not lost on McLoughlin. ‘Whoever loses at the weekend is likely to be relegated. I am happy with the way the players have responded but we just have to get some more to get that win.

‘Home venue, hopefully, will be an advantage, but we should have got more out of some of the games. The availabili­ty of Daithí is huge as he has meant so much to Wexford football over the past seven to eight years.

‘We have a young side but there is no better place to learn than in the league. We have gone with the young lads because we believe in them.

‘We are doing well enough but just not enough to win, so hopefully we can rectify that on Saturday,’ he added.

 ??  ?? Daithí Waters
Daithí Waters

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