Tough start has focused minds, says Matthew O’Hanlon

Matthew O’Hanlon believes Wexford’s opening Division 1B games against Limerick and Galway next month has brought an edge to their training.

Bookmakers place Davy Fitzgerald’s side a distant third behind the pair to gain promotion to the top flight.

Home to Limerick and away to Galway one Sunday after another (February 12 and 19) will likely determine Wexford’s fate. O’Hanlon says the players are relishing the tests.

“You’re going to have to play the top teams at some stage and if anything it focuses minds because we know Limerick and Galway in the first two rounds will dictate how our league campaign will go to a certain extent.

“We’ll be looking to get a couple of results there to put us in the melting pot to get promoted, which is ultimately what we’re aiming for.

“We haven’t managed to do that the last number of years. It’s our aim and hopefully we can get close to achieving that. We’ll be as prepared as we can be.

“Last year we had Limerick and Clare in the first two rounds and were obviously on the back-foot for the rest of the league. If we got a result in either of those games it might have given us the momentum to kick on.

“There’s no guarantee that if we get a good result against Limerick or Galway that we go out and beat the rest of the teams in Division 1B. I think having them at the start will help us get to the right pitch from day one. Hopefully, anyway.”

O’Hanlon hopes the arrival of Fitzgerald in Wexford will bring a consistency to the team’s performances.

“Obviously, the majority of my inter-county career, the last five years, has been under Liam Dunne. He stepped away and Davy has come in and everyone who is in training at the moment is eager to make a good first impression.

"Our biggest challenge is to add consistency to our game because over the last number of years we have been capable of being competitive with the best in Ireland but we’ve struggled to back it up game to game.”

Wexford’s senior hurlers and camogie players are this evening hosting “Fittest Superstars” in Claytown Whites Hotel at 7pm in Wexford town. Teams made up of members from both panels will battle it out to see who are the fittest. All proceeds go towards the squads’ training funds.