Wexford looking to rekindle the spirit of ’76

YOU won’t come across too many Wexford people this week talking about winning Sunday’s Leinster hurling final in Croke Park.

That’s easy to understand, when you consider the dominance of Kilkenny in recent decades and how their neighbours have struggled at under-age level in the same period.

Nevertheless, being the supreme optimists that they are, Wexford supporters are guaranteed to travel to Dublin in huge numbers.

And, of course, there is the added bonus of having the county footballers in action in the second of the provincial semi-finals.

Former star John Murphy from the Crossabeg/Ballymurn club, in his second year as a hurling selector, acknowledges the sense of apprehension among followers. It’s nothing new. As a supporter he has often felt it and as a player he had first-hand experience of it. A member of the team which lost the All-Ireland finals of 1976 and 1977 to Cork (which helped the county to the last treble), he has a vivid recollection of the build-up to the ‘76 Leinster final.

“That year, no-one gave us a hope going up against Kilkenny. But we destroyed them that day. Just like the present team, we were written off everywhere. There was a feeling around that it was hardly worthwhile for people to go to the match,” he said.

“Tony Doran was a super leader and we all looked up to him. All the players got together and we vowed that there was no way we were going to let these fellows walk all over us. That was basically it.”

After a mixed League campaign, Murphy agrees that the failure of the minor hurlers against Carlow in the Leinster championship was a blow to morale. That was when ‘the doom and gloom’ set in. And, to make matters worse, their U21’s got “a bit of a hiding” from Kilkenny in Callan last week.

“That didn’t help the thing either. We were looking for a good performance there,” he added.

“The lads tried hard, but it just didn’t happen for them on the evening. I think it’s up to the seniors now to lift the doom and gloom in Wexford. I think we’re well capable of doing it. Our players have put in a savage effort this year. They train as hard as Cork, or the Clares or the Tipperarys of this world. But, they don’t get the credit they deserve.”

They’re tired too of listening to all the talk about the Wexford hurlers being ‘too small.’ His response is that Charlie Carter wasn’t “a big man.” Neither is Joe Deane. “What I would say about our forwards is that they are all fantastic hurlers. It’s all about the heart and the will to win — and I think we have that here in abundance at the minute.”

The one ‘big man’ they could have playing in attack is Eoin Quigley, son of John, a team-mate of Murphy’s in the seventies.

But, he accept that his form often suffers because of his versatility.

“When you’re in trouble in one place you’re inclined to put him there. That happens with a fellow who can move from one position to another. We are inclined to move him all over the place, but he’s willing to do that.”

His high rating of their forwards prompted the obvious question about why they were limited to scoring just nine points in their semi-final win over Offaly. His explanation was simple. That day in Nowlan Park he saw “as good an exhibition” from two defences as he had ever seen! “The Offaly backs were absolutely excellent. They closed our lads down completely. But, having said that our backs were absolutely outstanding as well,” he said.