Experience gives Wexford a crucial edge

Wexford 2-15 Dublin 1-15:SO MANY regrets here for Dublin. If only they could have maintained their electric pace out of the blocks. If only they had kept hurling and not desperately sought to force a goal from as early as the 57th minute. If only they had been in this position before they might have known what they know now.

Therein lies the difference. Many of these Wexford players have lost games like this before. A game they were unable to hold onto. A game they knew could be won by trust in their own ability.

Sometimes winning is done from memory. That is what unfolded in Croke Park yesterday in front of an attendance of 25,555. Yes, this was the Dubs in Croke Park but not as we know it. None of the fair-weather football followers showed up. The Hill was a mere sprinkle of navy and blue.

Primetime viewing it was not but for Wexford this was a means to an end they clearly relished. Soaking up the initial promptings of Dublin's superb corner forward David O'Callaghan they responded through Rory Jacob and Stephen Banville, whose well-taken first-half goals provided them with the foundation for victory. A stout, rigid defence marshalled by Doc O'Connor did the rest.

Defeat to Dublin would have been viewed as a tragedy farther down the southeast coast. If Wexford are to be eventually usurped by the youthful promise of the capital's hurlers the likes of the Jacob brothers, O'Connor, Damien Fitzhenry and Diarmuid Lyng are clearly determined to ensure it does not occur on their watch.

Everything clicked perfectly into gear for Dublin in the opening exchanges. You could almost hear their underage medals jangling in their pockets as O'Callaghan sprayed frees over from every angle while team leaders Ronan Fallon and John McCaffrey contributed smart scores.

Wexford's reply was a goal. After Eoin Quigley burst through the middle, a nice lay-off to his left found Banville, who needed no second invitation. The ball was immediately fired long to Ross O'Carroll but the promising young Dublin forward was blocked down in a moment that perhaps epitomised his anonymous afternoon.

Lyng and Jacob points put Wexford in front but the chances of an epic increased when O'Callaghan, gathering brilliantly, accelerated past Keith Rossiter, ignoring the unmarked O'Carroll, to fire Dublin's only goal past Fitzhenry.

The contest had reached a crossroads. A juncture where Kilkenny normally go for the Wexford jugular. Instead they were permitted time to regroup and Jacob's groundstroke off a clever Banville delivery made it 2-6 to 1-8. Quigley, Willie Doran and Lyng tacked on further points to move them four clear by the interval.

The next crucial combination of scores came from two Stephen Doyle efforts and another Lyng free, all from Dublin defensive errors or indiscipline, pushing the margin out to six points.

A 12-minute scoreless spell was punctuated by Malachy Travers's dismissal on a second yellow card after he blatantly denied O'Callaghan a route to goal.

The former Dublin footballer belted the off-centre 21-yard free towards goal. Fitzhenry came away with it. Knowing what was coming, the Wexford defence unlatched the storm shutters. Dublin should have been picking off scores but instead continued to seek the killer pass to create a goal. Such an approach was welcomed by the opposition.

Down the home stretch, sub Declan Qualter and O'Callaghan reduced the arrears to three points, O'Callaghan's last point coming from another 21-yard free that was expertly deflected over by the great Wexford goalkeeper.

Dublin came again in two more attacking waves but both were repelled, the first by O'Connor, and the second by Rossiter, who carried the sliotar clear after Fallon's shot was blocked by a wall of defenders.

That Wexford failed to score in the last 18 minutes is a reflection of Dublin's naïvety when they were chasing a hardly intimidating lead. They panicked.

Heads bowed, they must cram quick lessons into their collective psyche before the next slugging match with either Limerick or Cork. Wexford move into the jaws of the Kilkenny cyclone on July 6th. A heavy defeat is expected but at least this morning hurling remains afloat in the Model County. The wait for a Dublin breakthrough continues.

DUBLIN: 1 G Maguire; 4 T Brady, 3 S Hiney (capt), 2 N Corcoran; 5 M Carton (0-1), 6 R Fallon (0-3, one free, one 65), 7 J Boland; 8 J McCaffrey (0-2), 9 S Lambert; 10 J Burke, 11 D O'Dwyer, 12 K Flynn; 13 D O'Callaghan (1-8, 0-8 from frees), 14 J Kelly, 15 R O'Carroll. Subs: 22 P Carton for K Flynn (28 mins); 18 D Qualter (0-1) for S Lambert (41); 24 P Kelly for M Carton (52); 25 P O'Driscoll for D O'Dwyer (54); 19 P Ryan for J Kelly (62 mins). Yellow card: J Boland (19 mins).

WEXFORD: 1 D Fitzhenry; 4 P Roche, 3 K Rossiter, 7 D Stamp; 5 M Jacob, 6 D O'Connor, 2 M Travers; 10 PJ Nolan (0-1), 13 D Redmond (0-1); 11 E Quigley (0-1), 17 W Doran (0-2), 12 D Lyng (0-4, three frees, one 65); 19 S Doyle (0-3), 14 S Banville (1-1), 15 R Jacob (capt, 1-2). Subs: 25 B Lambert for D Redmond (62 mins); 18 M Doyle for PJ Nolan (65); 9 C Farrell for S Doyle (71). Yellow cards: E Quigley (19 mins); M Travers (44), (56). Red card: Travers (56).

Referee: M Wadding (Waterford).