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Wexford Intercounty Hurling 2023

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Well this disappointed Dublin supporter arrived home to a house of happy Wexicans last night, and although disappointed myself it cheered me up a bit.
It sounded like a rip roarer in Wexford Park from what I gathered, I don't think anybody wanted Wexford relegated but you have to earn everything you get in life and nobody better to make you do that than Kilkenny.
The from play goals on Wexford Twitter page all had the same characteristic, fast ball, in to the forwards and away from a sweeper, with support players ready to give an option. Many have been calling for it all year.
In spite of that result I can't see how Darragh Egan comes back next year, bar the players really want him. If they do, then do. But the loss to Westmeath was just inexcusable and I know players have to take some of the responsibility, but I didn't see enough in his tactical acumen all year.
I would take the contrarian view on changing managers, if the elder statesmen are not happy with the setup then they might give 1 more year with a new man who also has a task to bring through the u20s. The future is brighter today for Wexford.
It sounded like great support for Wexford, the team deserved that support all year and Wexford supporters need to be the 16th man.
It is a winter of introspection ahead for all involved.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1337 - 29/05/2023 12:00:42    2482508

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Huge performance yesterday. Chin was immense, out the pitch is where he is most effective, they simply couldn't handle him. Hopefully he can get his injury sorted, when he's at full tilt he is unstoppable. Mogie ran himself into the ground as he always does, what a servant he has been. Beggars belief that DOK got so little game time this year, especially when you consider all the injuries to others. Lunacy.

When the dust settles Egan has to be held accountable. He says that we need to not get so low with the lows and not get so high with the highs. Problem is that the lows are way too low, utterly unacceptable, and the highs, like yesterday, show what we are capable of. Its the managers job to get the players performing to a consistent level, that simply didn't happen this year. Thankfully we can look forward to the Leinster Championship next year but it should never have been as close as it was to Joe McDonagh.

FearBeag (Mayo) - Posts: 84 - 29/05/2023 12:40:21    2482524

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Replying To GaeilgeDubh:  "Thanks for sharing that, fantastic listening to the raw emotion that hurling gives broadcasters/supporters."
Brilliant commentary, puts SE radio to shame.

FearBeag (Mayo) - Posts: 84 - 29/05/2023 13:01:59    2482534

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The leaders deserved huge criticism against Westmeath but equally deserve huge praise after yesterday, the pressure involved in that game was bigger than any Leinster or All Ireland Final given the consequences of defeat. 24 mins in, 8 points down playing with a breeze it was hard to see but from there was a performance of defiance really. The flick from Kevin Foley for Liam Ogs 2nd goal, if Cian Lynch or Tony Kelly produced it would be all over social media for the week.

Couple of points away from the game the atmosphere yesterday with 9,700 at the game compared to Dublin Wexford in Croke Park with 9,100 at the game shows that really Dublin's home games have no business being it Croke Park, its a stadium that's too vast for that crowd it becomes a soulless event, although a win and draw from the 2 games there ultimately vindicates Dublin's decision. Also if Kilkenny had got the late goal and we were relegated it was 100% completely and utterly our own fault given the meltdown vs Westmeath but I genuinely think it would have damaged the Leinster championship, what sums it up would have been us been relegated with a -7 points difference and Westmeath staying up with -80.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 29/05/2023 13:13:22    2482539

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A leftfield thought- would we have done better if we had any significant support in Salthill, Croker or the 2 previous games in the Park? Or Semple and Mullingar last year?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15713 - 29/05/2023 13:34:04    2482548

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Replying To TerribleFootwork:  "The leaders deserved huge criticism against Westmeath but equally deserve huge praise after yesterday, the pressure involved in that game was bigger than any Leinster or All Ireland Final given the consequences of defeat. 24 mins in, 8 points down playing with a breeze it was hard to see but from there was a performance of defiance really. The flick from Kevin Foley for Liam Ogs 2nd goal, if Cian Lynch or Tony Kelly produced it would be all over social media for the week.

Couple of points away from the game the atmosphere yesterday with 9,700 at the game compared to Dublin Wexford in Croke Park with 9,100 at the game shows that really Dublin's home games have no business being it Croke Park, its a stadium that's too vast for that crowd it becomes a soulless event, although a win and draw from the 2 games there ultimately vindicates Dublin's decision. Also if Kilkenny had got the late goal and we were relegated it was 100% completely and utterly our own fault given the meltdown vs Westmeath but I genuinely think it would have damaged the Leinster championship, what sums it up would have been us been relegated with a -7 points difference and Westmeath staying up with -80."
Agree wholeheartedly with Foley's flick. If it happened in Munster, Donal Og would be extolling the virtues of the beautiful game. Something else that doesn't get the same recognition as his counterparts in Munster is Chin's leadership- he would walk onto any Wexford team from any era and is to this generation what I imagine Rackard was to his. No-one in the game is as important to his team fortunes, aside from Tony Kelly, who is rightly regarded as an all-time great.

beano (Wexford) - Posts: 1491 - 29/05/2023 13:48:46    2482559

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Noticeable too Thunderstuck on the PA was put in the locker for the day and was more a occasion for Boolavogue and Boys of Wexford.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 29/05/2023 13:52:17    2482561

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Replying To Viking66:  "A leftfield thought- would we have done better if we had any significant support in Salthill, Croker or the 2 previous games in the Park? Or Semple and Mullingar last year?"
Pretty poor support yesterday too considering 40K jump on the bandwagon when were going well or when you get a bigger crowd to turn on flood lights in January.

WEX98 (Wexford) - Posts: 505 - 29/05/2023 13:57:41    2482567

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There needs to be a complete change in mindset next year. Wexfords first thought is to defend, Kilkennys is too attack.

Kilkenny went for the jugular from the start and got two quick goals from running at us even though we had an extra defender. Contrast that with our third point, K. Foley in possession with acres of space in front of him and he taps it over from 30 yards out.

We seem to think that playing an extra man at the back worked, yes O'Keeffe picked up a lot of ball but we conceded 5 goals.

Conceding the puck out and giving the opposition a platform to attack also needs to be abandoned, its fine in soccer not in hurling.

It was good to see the long ball yesterday but we were always out numbered and Kilkenny always had an extra man to pick up the breaking ball.

We have good hurlers in Wexford and we only need to make some small adjustments.

WEX98 (Wexford) - Posts: 505 - 29/05/2023 14:12:12    2482569

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Replying To WEX98:  "Pretty poor support yesterday too considering 40K jump on the bandwagon when were going well or when you get a bigger crowd to turn on flood lights in January."
For sure

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15713 - 29/05/2023 14:16:30    2482570

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Replying To WEX98:  "There needs to be a complete change in mindset next year. Wexfords first thought is to defend, Kilkennys is too attack.

Kilkenny went for the jugular from the start and got two quick goals from running at us even though we had an extra defender. Contrast that with our third point, K. Foley in possession with acres of space in front of him and he taps it over from 30 yards out.

We seem to think that playing an extra man at the back worked, yes O'Keeffe picked up a lot of ball but we conceded 5 goals.

Conceding the puck out and giving the opposition a platform to attack also needs to be abandoned, its fine in soccer not in hurling.

It was good to see the long ball yesterday but we were always out numbered and Kilkenny always had an extra man to pick up the breaking ball.

We have good hurlers in Wexford and we only need to make some small adjustments."
Tbh not all the goals were anything to do with having or not having a sweeper. Some were down to individual error. I'm not criticising Joe as a hurler or person by saying that. I've talked to him before he seems really likeable and he has skill to burn. Hopefully he has a great year for the Martins and with a full preseason will be back to his best next year.
Tbh it would be another slight criticism of management. He was away for a year and a half and only rejoined the panel Galway through the Walsh Cup. He had no preseason. He then got released from the panel, and then recalled a few weeks later. I know we were down the 2 Recks due to injury but was completely unreasonable to expect him to be ready to start a game that was that important. Conor Foley tends to overcommit and has made the odd error at u20 and Senior but was far readier for that challenge than Joe could be. Or else he should've started David Clarke or Niall Murphy, both of whom had pretty much a full preseason, were training with the panel last year, and were hurling for their clubs last year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15713 - 29/05/2023 14:29:01    2482585

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Replying To WEX98:  "There needs to be a complete change in mindset next year. Wexfords first thought is to defend, Kilkennys is too attack.

Kilkenny went for the jugular from the start and got two quick goals from running at us even though we had an extra defender. Contrast that with our third point, K. Foley in possession with acres of space in front of him and he taps it over from 30 yards out.

We seem to think that playing an extra man at the back worked, yes O'Keeffe picked up a lot of ball but we conceded 5 goals.

Conceding the puck out and giving the opposition a platform to attack also needs to be abandoned, its fine in soccer not in hurling.

It was good to see the long ball yesterday but we were always out numbered and Kilkenny always had an extra man to pick up the breaking ball.

We have good hurlers in Wexford and we only need to make some small adjustments."
Tbh not all the goals were anything to do with having or not having a sweeper. Some were down to individual error. I'm not criticising Joe as a hurler or person by saying that. I've talked to him before he seems really likeable and he has skill to burn. Hopefully he has a great year for the Martins and with a full preseason will be back to his best next year.
Tbh it would be another slight criticism of management. He was away for a year and a half and only rejoined the panel halfway through the Walsh Cup. He had no preseason. He then got released from the panel, and then recalled a few weeks later. I know we were down the 2 Recks due to injury but it was completely unreasonable to expect him to be ready to start a game that was that important. Conor Foley tends to overcommit and has made the odd error at u20 and Senior but was far readier for that challenge than Joe could be. Or else he should've started David Clarke or Niall Murphy, both of whom had pretty much a full preseason, were training with the panel last year, and were hurling for their clubs last year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15713 - 29/05/2023 14:29:21    2482587

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Great win. Relegation type finals, even at club level, are absolutely brutal for stress and this was another one. Early on it seemed like this group were just go down without a fight. KK running through us at will, non existent defending for the first two goals. But somehow our lads found the resolve to get back into it. Great credit also to keep our cool when KK went ahead late on and dig out the win.

The recriminations as to why we were in such a pickle in the first place will have to wait for another day.

Timbertony (Wexford) - Posts: 402 - 29/05/2023 14:55:50    2482607

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Replying To HurlingBuzz:  "I'd be inclined to agree but serious lessons must be learned and remedied from this year. First Mac and chinner in full forward line are the way going forward. They caused Clare all sorts of problems last year and but for the injuries to chin and Rory we'd have won that game. Kilkenny full back line couldn't cope with them yesterday. Allow Rory float with those 2 inside and you can mix the game nicely
Heard chinner after the game commenting on the bond that's there between players and management which cannot be discounted
Also Egan has identified the need to get new talent on board and he has had a lot of the u20's in around the panel with a view to integrating them into the team.
My one pet hate still is conceding the puck out."
I'm agree 100% with the issues you've identified that need addressing.

Joe1 (Kildare) - Posts: 52 - 29/05/2023 15:12:54    2482618

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Replying To Viking66:  "A leftfield thought- would we have done better if we had any significant support in Salthill, Croker or the 2 previous games in the Park? Or Semple and Mullingar last year?"
I was thinking about this. Are we a big day team. Imagine having the same attendance as the Munster games this year from both teams. Would Wexford respond better. My answer is yes.

Yellowhelmet (Australia) - Posts: 139 - 29/05/2023 15:26:28    2482628

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Replying To Viking66:  "Tbh not all the goals were anything to do with having or not having a sweeper. Some were down to individual error. I'm not criticising Joe as a hurler or person by saying that. I've talked to him before he seems really likeable and he has skill to burn. Hopefully he has a great year for the Martins and with a full preseason will be back to his best next year.
Tbh it would be another slight criticism of management. He was away for a year and a half and only rejoined the panel halfway through the Walsh Cup. He had no preseason. He then got released from the panel, and then recalled a few weeks later. I know we were down the 2 Recks due to injury but it was completely unreasonable to expect him to be ready to start a game that was that important. Conor Foley tends to overcommit and has made the odd error at u20 and Senior but was far readier for that challenge than Joe could be. Or else he should've started David Clarke or Niall Murphy, both of whom had pretty much a full preseason, were training with the panel last year, and were hurling for their clubs last year."
I think David Clarke and Niall Murphy maybe have good reason to feel a bit "miffed" over how Joe O'Connor seemed to be the go-to man for defensive cover during the championship. Maybe Murphy in particular. He was one of the best defenders in last year's club championship and had fairly good Fitzgibbon form this year too, but still only got very limited opportunities with Wexford.

Will be interesting to see where all these lads fit in next year anyway, under whoever the manager happens to be.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2856 - 29/05/2023 15:28:24    2482630

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Replying To Yellowhelmet:  "I was thinking about this. Are we a big day team. Imagine having the same attendance as the Munster games this year from both teams. Would Wexford respond better. My answer is yes."
Yet Kilkenny or Galway dont apparently need a huge crowd at their games to get them over the line against the likes of Westmeath or Antrim?

It also comes down to logistics, yesterday was great wexford fans are brilliant, Dublin match was terrible, Wexford fans are bandwagoners, if only theyd support the team we could have won etc etc yet the difference in attendance was a whopping 600 people!!

Literally 600 people more turned up for a home game on a sunny sunday May afternoon at home than travelled to Dublin on a rubbish day for a saturday evening game at 5pm yet at the time wexford fans were slated left right and centre on here.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1498 - 29/05/2023 16:30:59    2482659

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Looking forward to next season already lads. Yesterday we showed what we are capable of but we really need to show that on a consistent basis now. Im really hoping some of the older lads stay on they showed yesterday still have so much to offer . They will need to guide the new lads coming through from the under 20s. As a previous poster said whoever is managing us next year will have to find a way to keep our lads on their toes and consistently performing the way the can

Afinestick (Wexford) - Posts: 999 - 29/05/2023 16:48:52    2482668

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Replying To Afinestick:  "Looking forward to next season already lads. Yesterday we showed what we are capable of but we really need to show that on a consistent basis now. Im really hoping some of the older lads stay on they showed yesterday still have so much to offer . They will need to guide the new lads coming through from the under 20s. As a previous poster said whoever is managing us next year will have to find a way to keep our lads on their toes and consistently performing the way the can"
Same here, can't wait to make a weekend of it in Belfast while away games in Kilkenny and Carlow are as close as you'll get.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 29/05/2023 17:15:37    2482676

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Replying To Viking66:  "Absolutely scandalous that that game wasn't shown on anything!"
There's a full recording of the game.
Should be able to share during the week.

WEX98 (Wexford) - Posts: 505 - 29/05/2023 17:35:17    2482682

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