Storming finish seals heart-warming win
Experienced substitutes play leading roles as Wexford beat our keenest rivals
THERE’S NOTHING guaranteed to warm the cockles of a Wexford hurling supporter’s heart any better than a gutsy win over our arch-rivals.
Happily, that has become quite a common occurrence during the reign of Davy Fitzgerald, and another sample of that richly pleasing feeling was served up before a 7,221 crowd in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday when the hosts bounced back from their loss to Clare a fortnight earlier with a commendable two-point success.
The manner in which it was achieved deserves the highest commendation, because it looked to be a very tall order for Wexford when Kilkenny – backed by the strong wind blowing towards the town end – moved into a 1-12 to 1-11 lead with 20 minutes left when Conor Delaney’s low pass down the right wing was gathered and pointed by John Donnelly.
A poorly-struck Alan Murphy free from a central position – the second of just three Kilkenny wides – was a let-off for the home team, and they went on to seize the initiative with a stunning last quarter showing.
Their use of the ball and general decision-making as they tackled the elements, not to mention the threat posed by our near neighbours, was of the highest order.
By game’s end all of the big three – Chin, O’Keeffe and O’Hanlon – had made their competitive bows for the year, and their influence off the bench, along with Rory O’Connor, was considerable.
And let’s not forget the contribution of the fifth man brought on either, because newcomer Mikie Dwyer made a vital block on Cillian Buckley that led to Wexford’s late insurance point.
After that lead score from Donnelly, Wexford drew level when Damien Reck was fouled on a solo run and Paul Morris drilled over the free (1-12 each).
Seventeen minutes remained at that stage, and the Ferns centurion also played a key role in the lead point that quickly followed, with the very productive Jack O’Connor accepting his handpass and driving high inside the left-hand post at the Clonard end.
Wexford’s penetrating runs at the heart of their rivals continued to reap rewards, with Rory O’Connor taken down and Morris duly making it 1-14 to 1-12 in their favour in the 57th minute.
A dangerous free into the goalmouth by Lee Chin was defended successfully by Kilkenny before they pulled a point back from long range courtesy of centre-back Paddy Deegan.
Matthew O’Hanlon came on at that stage to police the always-dangerous Billy Ryan, with the range of options available off the bench undoubtedly helping immensely in getting the home side over the line.
And they had to do it the hard way, because a late tackle on Huw Lawlor, and a booking for the generally excellent Joe O’Connor, led to Alan Murphy firing over the leveller in the 67th minute (1-14 each).
Diarmuid O’Keeffe got on the world of ball in his relatively short time on the field, and his value to the cause was clearly underlined close to the finish.
Much credit must go to his St. Anne’s club colleague, Aidan Rochford, too, because it was the diminutive midfielder who emerged with possession from a ruck in the second-last minute of normal time.
He located Rory O’Connor to his left, and the St. Martin’s man had seen that O’Keeffe had done what he does best, ghosting unseen into open ground on the same flank, with nobody tracking his run.
Once O’Keeffe gathered possession, it was all about composure, and he travelled a few short yards before confidently posting the point that pushed Wexford into a 1-15 to 1-14 lead.
After Alan Murphy hit the third and last Kilkenny wide, this time from play, the insurance point arrived just over 90 seconds into the five added minutes.
Mikie Dwyer’s block on Cillian Buckley led to possession being gathered once more by O’Keeffe, this time on the right wing and on the open side of the ground.
He could see that Kevin Foley was running hard ahead of him, and he was able to delay his pass long enough before flighting it expertly into the sweeper’s path.
The Rapparees man got there a second before Ciarán Wallace, flicking it past him before being clipped late to earn a preecious free.
It was by no means an easy assignment, particularly into such a powerful wind, but Paul Morris had his eye in, and one of the true unsung heroes of this Wexford team planted the ball between the posts to the delight of home fans.
After that it was all about gritty ball-winning and all-out determination from the home side, with the players working hard as a unit to deny Kilkenny any further scoring chances.
Lee Chin came bursting out of defence after a long free by Darren Brennan, while Rory O’Connor struck the last of Wexford’s eleven wides before the tigerish Aidan Rochford emerged from another ruck with the sliothar safely in his paw.
Seconds before the final whistle of referee Fergal Horgan, the returning Matthew O’Hanlon administered a powerful shoulder to an opponent that perfectly summed up Wexford’s defiant treatment of the old enemy in recent meetings.
Let’s put things in perspective for a moment, because only a fool wouldn’t realise that Kilkenny will be an entirely different proposition once boosted by the considerable talent offered by the likes of T.J. Reid, Colin Fennelly, Pádraig Walsh, Eoin Murphy and Adrian Mullen.
Having said that, the current Wexford generation have developed the very welcome habit of beating – or at the very least, competing on a constant level with – a team that we struggled to get to within ten points of not so long ago.
The two complete newcomers – Aidan Rochford and Mikie Dwyer – have featured in two victories now in the space of just five weeks after the Walsh Cup clash in Callan last month, and nothing breeds confidence more than such positive results.
There was a lot to like about this Wexford performance, both individually and collectively, and it was important to return immediately to winning ways after that unusually flat home display in the defeat to Clare a fortnight earlier.
Most of the positive talk afterwards centred around the defensive display of Joe O’Connor, who didn’t shirk from the big challenge posed by being placed on Walter Walsh.
And while the Kilkenny captain from just over the bridge in New Ross was their most threatening forward in the first-half, along with Billy Ryan, the confident O’Connor stuck gamely to his task and definitely won that particular argument with a strong showing in the second period.
Joint captaincy on the day was shared by Liam Ryan and Conor McDonald, with
both doing their stuff at either end of the field, while Jack O’Connor was at his hard-working best and his strong running was rewarded with three well-taken points.
The fact that others are capable of doing better will only s intensity in training, and that’s exactly what the backroom crew will relish as they set their sights on facing Dublin next in Croke Park on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Simon Donohoe and Aidan Nolan replaced Shane Reck and Rory O’Connor in the starting line-up from the team that faced Clare, with Kilkenny winning the toss but opting to face the wind first.
There were just two quibbles about Wexford’s opening half performance – the accumulation of eight wides, and a sloppy ending in a mirror image of the previous game which left Kilkenny much closer than they might have expected at the break, just seven points behind (1-10 to 0-6).
James Maher had actually given them the lead into the elements after misses from Aidan Nolan and an over-hit Cathal Dunbar pass respectively, but Wexford were up and running after Liam Óg McGovern and Damien Reck combined before Conor McDonald split the posts from Several midfield. of Darren Brennan’s puck-outs struggled to clear the 45-metre line in that first-half, with Jack O ’Connor latching on to one and striking the lead point before Wexford’s goal arrived in the sixth minute.
O’Connor swept in one of his trademark catching long line balls it close from to the square and, with his the left, with McDonald back to goal, flicking overhead cleverly to the net under heavy pressure to establish a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.
Paul Morris fed Damien Reck for the next point, with an effort on goal by Kevin Foley saved by Darren Brennan before
excellent tracking back by Jack O’Connor saw him dispossess the menacing Walter Walsh.
That led to a late challenge on Pádraig Foley who sent over the free that followed, while Mark Fanning did well to dart off his line and deny Martin Keoghan a decent chance after Billy Ryan sent a dangerous delivery into his fellow attacker’s path.
Kevin Foley won the puck-out after a Simon Donohoe wide and fed Aidan Nolan to make it 1-5 to 0-1 in the 17th minute.
And Nolan also featured heavily in the next two scores, winning a free for Morris to knock over before his lovely sidestep from a Donohoe pass gave him the time and space to slap over his second point.
After Alan Murphy and Morris swapped points from frees, the persistence of Liam Óg McGovern in chasing Billy Ryan eventually led to the Kilkenny attacker losing possession as he made tracks for goal.
Missed frees from distance by Pádraig Foley and Mark Fanning followed, but Jack O’Connor caught the puck-out after the latter and made it a ten-point game in the 29th minute (1-9 to 0-2).
It was at this stage that Wexford lost their way somewhat, with the fact that Kilkenny scored four of the five points before half-time an issue that will no doubt be addressed at training this week.
John Donnelly flicked over first-time off his hurl before Richie Hogan opened his account, and a rash decision by Aidan Nolan to throw his stick led to a pointed free for Alan Murphy (1-9 to 0-5).
Paul Morris responded after a foul on McGovern, but Kilkenny had the last word before the break when a Cillian Buckley centre found Walter Walsh who zipped his shot over from a tight angle on the right (1-10 to 0-6).
Would seven points be enough given the strength of that wind? It quickly became eight, courtesy of Morris from an Aidan Nolan lay-off, but the puck-out that followed led to the Kilkenny goal.
Billy Ryan picked the pocket of Simon Donohoe before firing high to the top left of the net, and a monster pointed free followed from netminder Darren Brennan to reduce arrears to 1-11 to 1-7.
Walter Walsh had a goal bid blocked, but the momentum was well and truly with Kilkenny as they reeled off the next five points, courtesy of Martin Keoghan, Alan Murphy (free), a quickfire Richie Hogan brace, and the lead point from John Donnelly in the 51st minute.
Everyone knew that Wexford’s mettle would be well and truly tested from that point onwards. And their method thereafter had to be admired, outscoring Kilkenny by 0-5 to 0-2 into the teeth of the breeze to get their qualification hopes back on track.