Four big potential match ups ahead of this week’s clash between Wexford and Cork

Wexford will take on Cork this weekend in the Allianz Hurling League…

Both teams will be out to win this one. A win for Wexford could see them qualify for the Allianz Hurling League semi-final, depending on other results in the League.

Here, we’ll go through some of the big match ups ahead of the game.

Conor Foley vs Patrick Horgan

Conor Foley is still a new member of the Wexford Senior hurling panel. He was involved with Keith Rossiter’s u-20 team last year which lost out to Offaly in the Leinster final. Last year, he was also drafted into Darragh Egan’s Senior panel and played primarily in the wing-back and centre-back position. This year, under his former u-20 manager, he has been trusted in the last line of defence and he has definitely been one of Wexford’s brightest sparks.

Although he was left out of last week’s clash against Offaly, one could expect to see Cork’s talisman, Patrick Horgan, return to the field of play this Saturday against Wexford. Horgan needs no introduction; he’s a magician with a hurl and ball and he can really hurt teams, as shown throughout his stellar career.

Niall Murphy vs Alan Connolly:

It’s another battle in the last line of the defence for Wexford. Like Foley, Niall Murphy is a newcomer to the Wexford Senior hurling team. With the exception of one slip-up pass last week against Waterford, he did quite well and he has been performing consistently throughout the Allianz Hurling League campaign.

23-year-old Connolly has been involved with the Cork Senior team for the past two years, but he’s starting to show his worth now. The Blackrock attacked scored 3-01 against Offaly last week, with all scores coming from play and although Horgan may be back, it would be highly unlikely that Murphy is dropped after scoring a hat-trick last time out. But just as Murphy will be hoping to cement his place on the team with many players still set to return, Connolly will be hoping to produce the goods again for The Rebels, which could see him stake his claim for a place in the Cork team.

Cian Byrne vs Eoin Downey

Wexford player Cian Byrne performed excellently with his performance against Waterford over the weekend. He scored 0-05 from play from the corner-forward line and looked quite dangerous throughout. He showed signs that he’s already ready to step up to the Senior scene. His confidence with ball in hand on two sides, along with his accuracy and ball-winning ability, left RTE pundit Neil McManus heaping praise onto the young Fethard native.

After a powerful performance, one should expect that Cian Byrne will be tightly marked. The Cork defense would have completed their video analysis and will have a plan to stop him inflicting the same pain in Wexford Park on Saturday. It’s likely that Glenn-Rovers defender, 21-year-old Eoin Downey, will be given man-marking duties. Downey has been looked at throughout the campaign, starting games in the corner-back position against Clare, Kilkenny, and Offaly.

Conor Hearne vs Darragh Fitzgibbon

Conor Hearne has continued to impress from midfield during this year’s Allianz Hurling League campaign. He scored an excellent goal when he batted the ball to the net against Waterford. But it’s not his ability to pop points or score goals; instead, Wexford players and supporters appreciate his work ethic and his never-say-die attitude. The man is non-stop working around the middle and there’s no doubt that he gives 100% every time he puts on the jersey.

Darragh Fitzgibbon is included among the subs last week against Offaly. Before the Offaly game, the Cork manager, Pat Ryan, stated that Darragh “needs a bit of game-time.” Fitzgibbon came on for Seamus Harnedy with 15 minutes to go against Offaly, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him start in his more regular position of midfield in this clash to ensure he gets miles in the legs as the Munster Championship looms. He would likely be on Conor Hearne and it’s no doubt that it would be a titanic battle where pure effort and doggedness meets pure skill.