Five talking points as Wexford hurlers can only manage draw with the Dubs

The Wexford hurling team were in Leinster Senior Championship action against Dublin on Sunday…

It was the first round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship for both teams and the game was dubbed as one of the most important games for both teams with tougher tests yet to come. The teams could not be separated at the full-time whistle, with the score-board reading 2-18 to 1-21 in a blistering hot Wexford Park.

Dublin’s late goals:

Wexford were up by five points with just two minutes remaining on the clock. All they needed to do was see the game out. Wexford looked to be in control and with such little time remaining on the clock, spirits were high and it looked like Wexford had made a perfect start to their championship campaign. But that wasn’t to be. Up by five points, Wexford conceded a goal courtesy of Dublin’s Danny Sutcliffe. The big crowd in Wexford Park went silent. Wexford responded excellently with a point from Cathal Dunbar.

However, more drama was to come when in-form Dublin attacker, Cian O’Sullivan, found his way to the 14 and buried the ball past Wexford keeper, Mark Fanning. Dublin did not threaten Wexford’s goalkeeper for 70 minutes, so it was even more heart-breaking to see the Dubs score two goals in the last two minutes to secure a draw to the delight of their supporters in attendance. It was during those final few minutes where Wexford really missed the calm, composed and powerful Liam Ryan who often dominates those type of scenarios. Although Wexford didn’t lose the game, it was another one against the Dubs that they have left behind them – and it really did feel like a loss leaving Wexford Park on Sunday afternoon.

Chin’s first-half performance:

Lee Chin is unstoppable when he’s in form. The Wexford ace brought crowds to their feet on multiple occasions, specifically in the first-half. Chin started the game as Wexford’s full-forward and the Faythe Harriers club man won a penalty and then buried the penalty past the Dublin keeper in the opening minute of the game. Dublin found it difficult to manage his physical presence. He was Wexford’s only scorer up until the 23rd minute mark, accounting for all of Wexford’s 1-04 before he set up Rory O’Connor for his first point. Chin, who finished the game with a personal tally of 1-11, really was the difference for Wexford in the first-half, proving to be a menace for the Dublin defence.

Rory’s back:

Along with Chin, Rory O’Connor performed excellently too. The St Martins club-man did not play any minutes whatsoever in the Allianz Hurling League and some people questioned his fitness or if he was hurling enough to start on the team. Likewise, it meant leaving out Cian Byrne, who had been performing well throughout the League too. But the experienced Wexford attacker showed his brilliance throughout the game, popping over four points from play. His ability to take on his man and hit the ball on the run at full-speed is poetry in motion. He left absolutely everything on the field today and he was only replaced on the 72nd minute mark. Perhaps, he could have been taken off 5-10 minutes earlier, as he did look out on his feet near the end of the game. Wexford fans will be delighted that O’Connor is not just back – but he looks back to his best.

Importance of points difference:

Both Galway and Kilkenny are always going to be tough tasks. The importance of points difference may be crucial now. Kilkenny racked up a big scoring tally against Antrim, while Galway defeated Carlow by eleven points. Wexford’s games against both Carlow and Antrim are now more vital from that perspective, as after the final round of games, it could come down to points difference for the battle for the top three group spots. Back in 2019, the year Wexford won the Leinster title, the Championship boiled down to the last game, with Wexford drawing against Kilkenny and Dublin beating Galway to knock Galway out of the Championship and place both Wexford and Kilkenny into the final. Although it’s only the first round, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if something similar happened in 2024.

Away to Antrim next:

One beautiful thing about the Leinster Hurling Championship is that players or supporters can’t dwell on the Dublin game for too long. That’s because games come thick and fast. Next week, Wexford will travel to Corrigan Park in Antrim, which is never an easy place to go to. Antrim being at home will likely have ear-marked this game as one that they could win. Antrim lost out heavily to Kilkenny in Nowlan Park today, but similar to Wexford, they’ll be hoping to bounce back next week. Although it won’t be easy by any means, Wexford will be hoping to get their first two points on the board before they welcome Galway to Wexford Park the following week.