McCarthy answers the call for leadership

FIRST brought into the panel by Liam Griffin, Rory McCarthy now finds he is one of only three survivors of the team which won the 1996 All-Ireland final under the inspired captaincy of Martin Storey.

By his own admission, he wouldn’t normally be one to take the lead in dressing room discussions, but, nowadays he is conscious of the responsibility he shoulders.

In last year’s All-Ireland semi-final game against Cork, McCarthy (operating at midfield) scored a dramatic injury-time goal which earned Wexford a replay. They won their semi-final against Kilkenny a few weeks ago in similar fashion. Still, he says it’s a rare enough occurrence for them. “We’re used to getting beaten by last minute goals. We looked dead and buried and Mick (Jacob) popped up and scored,” he recalled.