Wexford must get over ‘mental block’ of Kilkenny hammering

Lee Chin admits Wexford’s 24-point hammering by Kilkenny last summer has left a few scars and is a “mental block” they must get over.

After the highs of 2014 and the wins over Clare and Waterford en route to an All-Ireland SHC quarter-final, came the lows of 2015 and the big beatings by Kilkenny and Cork.

Whether Wexford really can fulfil the potential their showed two years ago, or are as bad as they looked last year, is a question that will be answered over the next four or five months.

All Chin knows is that they have to try and prove a point as soon as possible.

“After last year we’d be keen to try and get back and redeem ourselves in some way,” he said at yesterday’s Allianz Hurling League launch in Belfast.

“Last year was a total disappointment and the Kilkenny game was down to us mentally. We did seem fatigued and drained in some way but we were right with them until the 44/45th minute mark.

“They just blew us out of the water then with a couple of goals and points and it’s like their kill zone. They just drive on. It is a mental block you have to get over too, but it’s a new day and a new summer, so who knows what will happen.”

The 23-year-old has forsaken the bigger ball and become exclusively an inter-county hurler.

The Walsh Cup final defeat by Dublin two weeks ago was his first time to play in Croke Park with the county’s senior hurlers — which is a sign of how far they’ve fallen.

“As a Wexford senior hurling team that was first time most of us had played there,” said Chin. “I think the last time Wexford played in Croke Park was nine years ago. It’s too long.

“But that’s down to ourselves. It’s a sign we haven’t been going well.”

Having waited so long to get there, the Bruce Springsteen concerts will see the Slaneysiders hit the Croke Park turf eight days earlier than planned, their clash with Dublin being moved forward from May 29 to May 21.

Refreshingly, Chin doesn’t blame the Leinster Council or the GAA for Wexford’s lack of opportunities to play at HQ.

“When you are there mostly it’s for a big occasion so every footballer or hurler has an ambition to get there.

“We played there in the Walsh Cup final two weeks ago and that was my first time there with the Wexford senior team, the same for a lot of boys.

“This year it’s fortunate that we have Dublin first and that’s the way the draw goes. But as for other years, we have no-one to blame but ourselves because we weren’t putting in the performances to deserve to be there on the big day.” Wexford kick off their Allianz League campaign against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds this weekend.

Chin says they need to hit the ground running if they want to show people they’re moving in the right direction again. “We have Limerick and Clare in our first two games so it’s important to get off to a good start.”