Step in the right direction

Allianz HL Division 1B

Good habits become catching, and winning is the more desirable habit of all.

In summers past, winning fixated Wexford’s hurlers. They’d amble into July, froth over the destination, lose sight of the road travelled and still to be travelled and, invariably, end up straying off path into championship wilderness.

It was a process that repeated itself summer after summer after summer: 2011 against Limerick, 2012 against Cork, 2013 against Clare. The examples are many. Throw in the U21 All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim two years back. They’d step inside the four white lines; tense, freeze and make their exit.

There’s no need to rehash the Wexford hurling adventure of last summer, there is need to discuss its implications nine months on. In their eight competitive fixtures since drawing with Clare at Cusack Park in round one of the All-Ireland qualifiers, they’ve lost just twice – Limerick their conquerors on both occasions.

They’re no longer fixating. Good habits are catching.

“Winning is a much nicer feeling than losing, and we’ve had our fair share of losses in the last 10 to 12 years,” says Wexford selector Murty Dempsey.

“I think sometimes for us, and this is something we have worked on over the past couple of years, winning was the only thing we thought about. And if winning is all you think about, then you almost become frozen and become afraid to win.

“Now, we are much more about focusing on our performance and executing our game-plan. These guys are only humans, so you will have an off-day, but so long as the lads perform to their potential, the result will look after itself. And that has been the case of late.”

Liam Dunne’s troops sit a good number of rows ahead of where they were positioned this time last year and Dempsey has noticed changes to the mindset of the Wexford hurlers since the panel reconvened in December.

“There has been a major shift in the players over the last three years, that’s first. The key components have been Gerry Fitzpatrick’s involvement in terms of fitness, strength and conditioning. You can see that simply by looking at the lads. Their skill levels have improved and credit there has to go to Ger Cushe who came in last year. Damien Fitzhenry joined the backroom this year and has also played a role.

“More recently, their mental toughness has improved. Winning that extra-time fixture against Clare was the break they needed in terms of confidence. The tense shoulders disappeared after that. When you have the basic skills right, when you have that mental toughness, when you have the required fitness; all that gives the lads the confidence to perform on the field, which is what they have been doing.

“The lads have set standards, probably a small bit higher from last year. People expect a continuation of last year, a continued progression. We didn’t lose the run of ourselves at the start of the year by setting our targets too high. It was game by game, and I really mean that. The only way you’ll keep people talking about Wexford hurling is performing game after game.”

Securing a league quarter-final was never going to be an issue. Promotion to the top tier, however, looked to have moved out of reach following the one-point defeat to Limerick a fortnight ago. Offaly did them a favour last weekend and here Wexford stand on the cusp of a return to the league’s top table for the first time since 2011 (eight-team Division 1 format).

They hadn’t bargained on another opportunity to further climb the ladder so soon after last summer. The advantages of Division 1A hurling aren’t lost on second Wexford selector Ger Cushe.

“These lads have never been up there before, it would be new ground. They experienced new ground last year in getting to an All-Ireland quarter-final. This would be another step in the right direction.

“Playing Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Cork over successive Sundays can only improve the players. It would be interesting to see how we would cope with that week in, week out. It would be good exposure.

“We are delighted to get a game so early in the year where there is so much at stake. It will tell us more about the lads, about how they are maturing. It will be a test for the younger lads who haven’t been in this situation before. We are hoping they react the right way.

“There is good support behind Wexford hurling at the moment. They are anxious to see how much of an improvement the lads have made from last summer. That, of course, brings its own pressure.”

Cushe, just as Dempsey before him, prioritises performance ahead of victory. Two weeks ago, they departed Wexford Park a content and satisfied management team. A performance had been churned out, the result simply didn’t fall in their favour (4-16 to 3-18 the final scoreline against Limerick).

“We have to keep building and building and building. The breakthroughs, just as it did last summer, will follow. You take the crowds that attended the club championships games after our run in the All-Ireland championship. They were way above recent years. People were crying out for a team to follow. The lads gave them a team to follow. You can see it in the kids hurling out in streets.

“A rising tide lifts all boats and we’re just delighted that Wexford hurling is pushing on. It doesn’t make our job, mind, or that of the players, any easier.”