Model resurgence gathers momentum

Forget about the 13-point hammering of Antrim, impressive and all as it was, the most significant result concerning Wexford hurling this summer arrived three days on from their Saffron dismantlement.

JJ Doyle’s U21 side travelled to Nowlan Park for the opening round of the provincial championship, the Slaneysiders afforded more than a sporting chance on the evening. They had, after all, edged out Kilkenny in annexing the title last year. Few, if any, however could have predicted the display served up by the visitors, winning out by 2-14 to 0-10.

Three of the side — Jack Guiney, Conor McDonald (2-2 nabbed against Antrim) and Liam Ryan — will line out in tomorrow’s Leinster semi-final against Dublin and whatever about the result, Wexford’s hurling graph is slowly heading north.

“Anytime you beat Kilkenny is a good result,” says senior selector Murty Dempsey.

“To win last year against them in the decider was huge and to beat them last week in Nowlan Park was very important, not simply for the county, but for the confidence of the lads who are playing. Winning breeds winning so for these young players to string back-to-back U21 wins against Kilkenny is massively important.

“For any panel the most important thing is that you have competition for places. Certainly when you bring in the type of prospects we have at U21, it does create competition at senior level. It improves everyone and that has been the case in our camp. Morale has been lifted by the progress of the younger brigade.”

Six years have elapsed since Wexford’s last Leinster final appearance, their worst spell since the late 1930’s. Dublin ended their provincial run last summer, at the second time of asking mind you, but Dempsey believes the gap between the two counties is not as close as many would suggest.

“When you look at the drawn game you could say we could have won it and yet we had to hit the last point to equalise. I think people tend not to focus on the replay, but that is the one we would always reflect upon and the fact that we were so comprehensively beaten.”

He added: “People might say we are on the easier side of the draw this year in terms of getting back to a Leinster final. You have the Leinster champions coming to Wexford Park and it would be naive to look beyond that. 11-week lay-off or not, we are still playing a side that probably should have been in last year’s All-Ireland final. Now I know they wound up in the league relegation play-off, but look at who they beat in the group — Kilkenny and Clare. You also have to look at the quality of opposition they were playing. They will be well primed coming down to us.”