Rossiter expects “big battle”

O’Connor and McGuckin might return for Antrim clash

HAVING SAT out the Leinster championship opener against Dublin due to injury, Charlie McGuckin and Jack O’Connor could be in contention for a place in the squad as the Wexford hurlers make the long trip to Corrigan Park to take on Antrim on Saturday (3 p.m.).

Cian Molloy, who is recovering from a hamstring problem, and Corey Byrne-Dunbar, who is struggling to shake off a muscle injury, will again be absent for the Slaneysiders, while full-back Liam Ryan and midfielder Diarmuid O’Keeffe continue to be sidelined.

Although Matthew O’Hanlon picked up a small knock, Keith Rossiter is expecting everybody that was involved in Sunday’s 1-21 to 2-18 draw with the metropolitans to be available for selection for the journey north, and the manager is all too aware that they have to quickly forget the disappointment of falling at the final hurdle and get back on the horse.

“We’re on the road now and Antrim are next. It’s going to be a big battle, but we’ll give it everything again. We performed well yesterday against Dublin; we were unlucky not to win it.

“I think people forget that as well. You can say we threw it away at the end, but we probably performed well enough to win that game. I think it’s fair to say that.

“We want to put another good performance in in Belfast next Saturday and please God come back down the road with smiles on our faces,” he said.

The Saffrons went down to a heavy 5-30 to 0-13 defeat to Kilkenny in Nowlan Park on Sunday, but Rossiter won’t be lulled into any false sense of security, saying Antrim have two things in their favour – home comforts and the fact that they will have earmarked the visit of Wexford as a winnable game.

“I wouldn’t read too much into the Kilkenny result. I think any time we’ve gone to Corrigan Park, or Casement Park back in the day, you’d never get anything handy.

“Antrim are waiting for Wexford. Away to Kilkenny and then home to Wexford, if you were in the Antrim camp, I know which one you’d be targeting. We’re aware of that and it’s going to be another big battle.”

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