Murphy eyes happier final day experience

THEY will journey along the eastern seaboard next Sunday with thoughts of 2008 in their minds. Three years ago having a main role on Leinster final day was a ground-breaking experience for the Wexford footballers.

Yet the grandeur and significance of that occasion proved too much to bear. They began that game positively, matching Dublin stride for stride in the early stages but it was a precursor to blue murder in the second-half. The scoreboard at the final whistle revealed a massive 23-point gap between the sides.

“I remember a couple of supporters came on to the field with five minutes to go and I just said to the ref ‘just blow it up’,” recalled defender David Murphy.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better atmosphere to be in and the Wexford followers were really behind us. But in the second-half we just wanted to get off the field towards the end. You just want to get back to your dressing-room and get out of there.”

Wexford now return to the Leinster final stage with the benefit of greater experience and wisdom. Last year it took extra-time before they succumbed to Dublin and their performance that day will fuel belief that they can mount a credible assault for provincial honours.

“We have been ahead and been competitive but we haven’t got over the line,” said Murphy.

“It is all about getting a win over the Dubs now. That is the next step. When the Dubs get a score on you it is all about slowing it down and not letting them rattle in a few scores after it. I think we are better equipped this year.”

If anything demonstrated how much progress Wexford have made and the higher standards they now demand of themselves, it was their reaction to the semi-final dismantling of Carlow last Sunday week.

Despite having the comfort of a 14-point cushion at the final whistle, attacker Ciaran Lyng agreed with manager Jason Ryan’s post-match assessment that their performance was laced with imperfections.

“He couldn’t have been happy with it,” he said.

“It was a disaster. Some lads were lucky to stay on the field as long as they did. But that’s the standard that we’ve set. In bygone years, we’d just be jumping around the field after winning a Leinster semi-final. Instead we came into the dressing-room, cooled down and knew it was time to get ready for the final.”

The squad that holds the hopes of the county next Sunday carries a greater punch than its 2008 predecessors. Murphy enthuses about the impact their new players have made to the team’s displays.

“It is a breath of fresh air to have guys like Ben Brosnan and Graeme Molloy in. Joey Wadding too, who only made his debut last year. These guys have brought a new level to training. Last year you might have thought the team was falling apart, with Matty (Forde) going, as well as Paddy Colfer and Philip Wallace.

“At the time you think guys like that are irreplaceable. But there are always guys to come in and surpass expectations.”

There is an impressive array of attacking options in the Wexford lineup this year. Lyng, Brosnan and Redmond Barry have hoovered up the plaudits with a combined tally of 3-39 from their three Leinster games while youngster Shane Roche was the star when blitzing the Carlow defence for 2-4.

“It’s been coming from Shane,” said Lyng. “His finishing is unbelievable. He had probably been overshadowed by the amount of ball that’s gone to Ben, Red and myself. But he showed what he can do against Carlow.”

The sparkling play on the pitch has been facilitated by the steady influence exerted by Jason Ryan on the sideline. Wexford suffered a couple of hidings in the O’Byrne Cup earlier this year but since then they have been hugely consistent, pushing hard for promotion from Division 3 and sweeping through the early rounds in Leinster.

“He said it himself prior to the start of the last championship that it would be his last year,” said Murphy.

“So there was a fear he’d go. But we got on a bit of a run last year and won up in Galway. When he signed up for a fourth year that made up the minds for a lot of us too and everyone is delighted that he came back.”

For Lyng, claiming a Leinster senior medal would be the realisation of a cherished dream. His older brother Diarmuid experienced that feeling in 2004 with the Wexford senior hurlers but is now domiciled in the USA.

“I get the odd email off him. He’s busy’s enough, working in New York and then he’s going off travelling around the world. It’s a great life, that’s múinteoirí for ya! But he’ll be watching the game or listening to it online. It’d mean everything to win, it’s the promised land for us.”