The performance is key in Tullamore
Photos: Joe Byrne
From Pearse’s Park
THE result of this Sunday’s game against Offaly is of no importance to the Wicklow team according to Wicklow selector Tom Darcy, it’s all about the performance and whether or not they can acquit themselves well against their future Christy Ring Cup opponents.
Wicklow make the journey to Bord na Mona O’Connor Park in Tullamore this Sunday for a 12.30pm start against Michael Fennelly’s Offaly side who are desperately chasing a league final appearance as they look to hoist themselves back up the hurling tree.
Their unexpected defeat to Kerry was their only slip so far in this campaign but they have Eamonn Scallan’s side and Antrim still to play and with the Saffrons heading down for a very tricky tie against Kerry the Faithful men will be hoping that they will slip up there and that they would then account for the Antrim side in their last game that was postponed earlier and progress to meet Kerry in the league decider.
‘Offaly will want to beat us, they have to beat us,’ said Tom Darcy in the days following the disappointing defeat to Kerry in Pearse’s Park in Arklow.
‘The result doesn’t matter for us. The performance is what matters now,’ he added.
The word disappointed is probably the most suitable when describing Darcy’s overwhelming emotions in relation to the loss to Kerry.
‘We are disappointed, we really are,’ he explained. The lads (Wicklow) have shown that they can compete with these better teams. Possession wise we are matching these teams but Kerry’s ball usage and finishing was the difference on the day. They managed the second half superbly. They crowded the middle and didn’t let us set up how we normally set up.
‘We were extremely wasteful in that second half as well. This was a game we could have won. We outhurled them in the second half but our ball usage and game management are still not where they need to be. We still have that little bit to learn compared to the stronger teams, but I’d be more than hopeful that all these players can learn these things and continue to improve,’ he added.
Offaly take on Wicklow in Tullamore on Sunday at 12.30pm