Davy Fitzgerald believes he’s way ahead of schedule with the Wexford hurlers yet has described talk of winning the Leinster or All-Ireland titles in 2018 as “a load of rubbish”.

It is a mild pity that match previews do not include an insight into the thought processes which led yer man — never yer woman, of course — to his verdict.

Wexford were outwitted and outworked by a Waterford team who will feel there is still plenty in them after this handsome win, writes John Fogarty.

Leinster SHC Final Galway 0-29 Wexford 1-17 

Before the 2013 Leinster final, we were listening to a standard backing track in Dublin.

In the stand but making the most of it. Davy Fitzgerald is the subject of a forthcoming episode of RTÉ’s Living with Lucy and the Wexford boss took the chance to get some filming done yesterday.

Tipp rely on Seamus Callanan and John McGrath to create goal chances out of nothing, writes Donal O’Grady.

New Wexford senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has included forward Jack Guiney in a winter training squad of more than 40 players.

Former Wexford captain Keith Rossiter has backed Davy Fitzgerald’s appointment as manager and claimed that there is scope for “serious progress” with the team.

Matthew O’Hanlon has hailed the bond in the Wexford panel that has seen through some rough sailing these past couple of seasons.

Limerick got their latest drive for promotion from Division 1B off to an encouraging start as they led from pillar to post in wet and cold conditions at the Gaelic Grounds.

DIT 4-14 Kilkenny 0-16: Conor McDonald returned to haunt Kilkenny when he led the Dublin Institute of Technology to a big win in the Walsh Cup last night.

County under-21 manager Eddie Brennan took charge of the Cats tonight.

New Offaly manager Eamonn Kelly got off to a perfect start this afternoon when his Faithful County charges easily accounted for DIT.

In Nowlan Park two weeks ago, there was a sense in the air that you could nearly touch, that Kilkennyism, that fireproof security in themselves and their team, an attitude that said, ‘Ah, they’re all on about Tipperary, Galway and Waterford, it doesn’t matter who we’ve lost, we’ll take down any one of them’.

He’s spent the greater portion of his life in Cork, even winning an All-Ireland in the blood and bandage, but John Meyler knows they’ll never allow him to be a Rebel.

Yesterday in Nowlan Park reminded me of the Gaelic Grounds in 1993.

“We were fierce unlucky, weren’t we?” Only Liam Dunne could open with a line like that after a 24-point haunting.

It’s funny how this whole thing works.

The man who brought Brian Cody to his knees 11 years ago is worried about the expectation placed on Wexford by their own supporters ahead of Sunday’s Leinster semi-final.

The Wexford hurling management and players want Jack Guiney more than he wants to be part of the county set-up, manager Liam Dunne has claimed.

Wexford 1-24 Westmeath 1-16: This was not a performance to overly worry Kilkenny but then it is highly unlikely Wexford were ever going to reveal too much of themselves in a Leinster quarter-final tie in Mullingar.

 

Waterford 0-22 Wexford 0-16

Wexford 3-18, Limerick 4-1

Limerick IT v IT Carlow, LIT (A Kelly, Galway), 2pm

Offaly 0-12 Wexford 2-15: One of hurling’s longest unbeaten runs came crashing down yesterday afternoon in O’Connor Park as Wexford overcame dismal conditions and some incredibly errant shooting to record a 2-15 to 0-12 win over Offaly and move to the top of the Division 1B table.

Wexford retained their patience well as they eventually wore down Offaly by 2-15 to 0-12 at O’Connor Park.

The Allianz NHL gets underway this evening with some mouth-watering fixtures from the very start, including Cork v Kilkenny in Páirc Uí Rinn and Dublin v Tipperary in Parnell Park tomorrow.

Group A: DCU v St Pat’s, DCU Sportsgrounds (J McGrath), 6.30pm

Limerick IT 1-19 DIT 1-13: Limerick IT registered their second successive win as they overcame DIT in their Fitzgibbon Cup, Group D clash at the Parnells ground in Coolock.

Antrim 1-22 DIT 2-12: Antrim hurlers had a deserved win over DIT in the Bord na Mona Walsh Cup at stormy St Paul’s Park in Belfast yesterday.

Seven Clare hurlers have been selected on the Bord Gáis U21 team of the year, with Seadna Morey, Tony Kelly and Colm Galvin honoured for a second year in succession.