Wexford can build on victory over Kilkenny

INEVITABLY, the favourites’ tag remains with Wexford for tomorrow’s Guinness Leinster hurling final in Croke Park after their dramatic victory over Kilkenny.

However, as the recent history of games with Offaly demonstrates, it’s no guarantee that they will take the title for the first time in seven years.

In modern times, Offaly have been far more successful in Leinster. They have nine titles to their credit since winning their first in 1981 while Wexford went 19 years before regaining the title in 1996 and retaining it the following year. The midlanders lost to them only once in five finals between 1981 and 1996.

Ironically, Wexford’s John Conran and Martin Quigley were players when they lost in three finals to tomorrow’s opponents in the Eighties. In each of the years the Model County men had knocked out Kilkenny en route. In the context of consecutive defeats by Kilkenny in the last three finals (by margins of 13, 2 and 11 points, respectively), Wexford’s semi-final win three weeks ago was all the more remarkable. Full-back Darragh Ryan - one of 11 players who have never won a Leinster medal - attributes it to their preparations after the end of a League campaign in which they performed poorly.

If Wexford did manage to turn things around in a period of six weeks, so did Offaly. They suffered a 21-points defeat at the hands of Dublin in the League, but not unexpectedly, they won comfortably when they met them in the semi-final (finishing 15 points ahead). Wexford go into the final with six changes in personnel from last year’s meeting with Kilkenny. Most interesting of all, former captain Paul Codd has not won back his place in the starting line-up.

Offaly, too, have gained a good return from their investment in new talent.

However, I’m reasonably confident that Wexford can build on their semi-final win and raise their standard further. For that reason I expect them to win.