Lyng: Game plan key to Wexford success

Wexford forward Ciaran Lyng feels that that basic game plan that the Wexford footballers employed in their defeat of Laois in the Leinster SFC semi-final has been the key to the side finally making the breakthrough in qualifying for the Leinster SFC final.

On the recent Leinster SFC semi-final breakthrough against Laois he points to the importance of the work ethic of manager Jason Ryan’s troops.

“It was more of a general game plan … everyone for a man. It's very basic, if everyone beats their man, you're going to win. That's the simplified version of it.”

He added: “I'd say he (Ryan) goes over it a million times and a million different ways of playing it. But to us, that's how simple he breaks it down. I know a lot of lads would have had their own individual jobs, Colm Morris and particularly the backs. With the forwards, he kinda gives us a free reign.”

Despite the fact that his forwards colleague Mattie Forde was seemingly off his game against Laois some critics have yet to recognise that the Slaneysiders are more than a one-man team.

Lyng has no problem with this as it takes the focus off his game: “I'm happy enough for people to describe us as a one-man team because it takes an awful lot of pressure of me, to be honest. Mattie knows about [all the talk of Wexford being a one-man team] but it never comes up.

“It's something we never discuss. He's only happy to take the majority of the workload. But there were plenty of other people chipping in, even though it wasn't me. I know a lot of people are expecting that whatever Mattie doesn't get I'd be picking up, but I was playing quite badly so it shows the strength of the team.”

Looking ahead to the challenge of taking on Dublin in the Leinster SFC final Lyng – who was on trial at English soccer clubs Preston North End and Shrewsbury before returning to Ireland in 2006 – finds it difficult to hide his excitement.

“Well, I can honestly say it will be the biggest moment of my career in any sport. I know for hurlers in 2004 it was a huge win over a very strong Kilkenny team; probably not as strong as now, but a very strong team. But this would be huge to me, especially after coming back from playing soccer, I feel like I let myself down.

“Any element of failure would just go out the window. I think it would be huge for Wexford. I mean, at my club, which is a hurling club, there's a couple of young lads who'd be inter-county footballer material easily, but they're more likely to stick with the hurling. The may never be excellent hurlers but they'd be good hurlers, whereas they'd be excellent footballers.”

Having a brother, Diarmuid, on the hurling panel meant that the double header on June 22 was a big day out for the whole family as the duo sought to advance the fortunes of both codes in the county.

Ciaran said: “The two of us kinda keep out of each other's way. If we were both hurling or both playing football then it might be a bit different, you'd be talking about the game or any plans, but we keep out of each other's way because the two games aren't really relative, are they?”

The fact that the footballers are currently riding the crest of a wave of relative success has yet to divide the loyalties in the household however. Given a potential conflict on a day when both codes are in action in different venues Lyng is sure that the parents will go in an expected direction to satisfy all members of the family.

“I'd say they'd go for the hurling somehow [laughs]. My Ma's from Kilkenny, like, and my Da's a big hurling man … ah, no, they'd probably go for one each, because I'd be giving out otherwise [laughs].”

Ciaran is realistic about the recent exploits of the footballers and is quick to find sympathy for the challenges facing the stickmen of the Model County.

He said: “I don't know if it is true to say that we are rated higher than the hurlers, I just think this Kilkenny team is one in a million. They're just a ridiculously good team and the Wexford hurlers have been unlucky to come up against them. They just keep going up against a brick wall.”

Wexford take on Dublin in the Leinster SFC final on July 20.