Keith Rossiter wants more protection for Wexford star Lee Chin
Lee Chin of Wexford celebrates after he scores a late goal against Kildare. Pic: ©INPHO/Andrew Paton
Wexford boss Keith Rossiter has pleaded for extra protection for talisman forward Lee Chin.
Chin struck a stoppage time goal, and 1-12 in total, to help Wexford see off a Kildare side competing in the Leinster SHC for the first time since 2004.
With an hour played, just three points separated the sides and Kildare, who were on level terms at half time, kicked themselves for shooting nine wides in that opening period.
Chin's sixth converted free of the game put Wexford ahead in the 39th minute and they remained in pole position from there on.
But it wasn't anywhere near as emphatic as Wexford's 19-point League win over Kildare just four weeks earlier and it was only in the last 10 minutes that they pulled clear.
Wexford had 10 different scorers and aside from Chin and Ross Banville, Rossiter also namechecked Darragh Carley, Diarmuid O'Leary and Eamon Wickham as key figures.
He pointed as well to apparent rough treatment incurred by Chin, who was tracked throughout by Conan Boran.
"Lee was being man-marked an awful lot, an awful lot of stuff off the ball on Lee," said Rossiter. "It's not really acceptable. I think he was fouled five or six times off the ball.
"At a crucial point in the first half it happened and nobody saw it. Everyone in the stand saw it but no-one on the field saw it.
"Lee just needs to be minded a bit more because that's what lads are going to do to him. I wouldn't be happy with that aspect of it."
Team captain Jack O'Connor returned for his first start of the year after missing the League due to knee surgery and got 50 valuable minutes.
Liam Ryan was an unused sub after missing the League also, though Darren Codd missed out with a broken finger after playing in all of their Division 1B games.
Wexford have the opportunity now to score a landmark win over wounded Kilkenny when they travel to face the Cats next weekend. Kilkenny, who have won the last six Leinster titles, were heavily beaten by Galway for the second time in a matter of weeks.
"Go back and look at their form in the League," cautioned Rossiter. "When they got beaten by Galway in that second last game of the League, they then came out roaring against Tipperary. We have to get ready for that roar now next weekend in Nowlan Park.
"Their backs are against the wall because they need to get a win on the board. We're already on the board. It's going to be a big match."
Kildare will also hit the road next weekend when they travel to Parnell Park to play Dublin.
Brian Dowling will feel a win is achievable having kept pace for an hour with a Wexford side that drew with Dublin in the League.
Jack Sheridan struck 1-5 for Kildare and his 31st minute goal was a beauty, Boran's long delivery being snatched out of the air by Muris Curtin and offloaded to the onrushing Sheridan who took his time before finding the corner.
The surface didn't suit either team and must be a concern for Kildare GAA. The area in front of the new main stand was heavily sanded and the rest of the pitch was patchy.
"I was talking to Brian Dowling, we won a couple of Fitzgibbons together down in Waterford, he said it wasn't planned for a sandy pitch the way it was," said Rossiter. "So it wasn't Brian's fault but conditions were poor, trying to pick the ball up and a load of sand is coming up."
Referee Michael Kennedy frustrated Wexford fans last summer when he awarded the ghost goal from a penalty in their narrow round robin defeat to Dublin.
This time around, it was Kildare manager Dowling that was complaining, saying he was 'very frustrated' with some of the Tipperary official's calls.
Dowling said that while 'the Munster championship lads will do whatever they want to each other', and not be pulled for frees, that wasn't the case in Newbridge.
L Chin (1-12, 10 frees, 1 65); R Banville (0-2); S Roche, J O'Connor, M Fanning (1 free), E Wickham, D O'Leary, C Hearne, D Reck, J Byrne (0-1 each).
J Sheridan (1-5, 2 frees); D Qualter (2 frees), P Dolan (0-2 each); T Power, Cian Boran, S Leacy, C McCabe, G Keegan (0-1 each).
M Fanning; D Carley, C Foley, S Reck; E Wickham, R Lawlor, D Reck; D O'Leary, C Hearne; J O'Connor, S Roche, R Banville; K Foley, L Chin, J Redmond.
R Higgins for Redmond (46); C Byrne for O'Connor (51); J Byrne for Roche (62); D Clarke for Carley (67).
P McKenna; R Boran, Conan Boran, S Leacy; L O'Reilly, Cian Boran, P Dolan; D O'Meara, C McCabe; J Sheridan, G Keegan, D Guerin; M Curtin, D Qualter, T Power.
D Melville for Qualter (58); C Keogh for O'Meara (59); R Hogan for Power (66); T Ryan for Curtin (69).
M Kennedy (Tipperary).
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