One giant leap for Wexford

Gaelic Games: Time up in Croke Park, a game that cut straight to the chase trying to expire with some normality. Then one last pistol shot rings out among the dying senses, shaking and stirring hurling in Leinster beyond all comprehension. Wexford have won. Kilkenny are beaten.

Believing this is one thing, doing it is another. For 70 minutes the Wexford hurlers believed they could beat the All-Ireland champions and take their place in the Leinster hurling final. But only on 73 minutes did they do it. Michael Jacob scored a last-gasp goal after a most uncharacteristic error in the Kilkenny defence. Six years of frustration finally over.

So one small setback for Kilkenny perhaps, but definitely one giant leap for Wexford. They last won the Leinster title in 1997 and the year before that were All-Ireland champions. This victory, more than anything they've achieved since, marks a return to that glorious period.

Amid the long roars of celebration yesterday manager John Conran tried in vain to keep things in perspective.

"Well, I know Wexford are inclined to go into overdrive after a game like this," he said. "But this time I guarantee you we won't be getting carried away. We'll put our head down and you won't see much of Wexford for the next few weeks."

Easier said than done. Beating a Kilkenny team still deemed to be in their prime and motivated by the thoughts of immortality won't go unnoticed around the country. Wexford have become marked men.

For Kilkenny, the quest for a third successive All-Ireland title is now forced down the qualifier route, into the great wide open. Last night's first-round draw has pitted them against the losers of Dublin-Offaly, and in their current state of mind that's a game they won't take for granted.

"We're out of the Leinster championship," said manager Brian Cody. "We're not out of the All-Ireland. But it's a new route for this team since I've been involved, and I would prefer the direct route. So we'll just take it bit by bit, and try to get ourselves in a situation where we can turn the year around.

"But the character of this team hasn't been questioned. They don't have to prove anything to me or to themselves. They couldn't have been as successful as they are without that character. The ambition of this team remains as strong as ever. I know the hunger is still there. But we've won together and we'll lose together, and where we end up after it all we'll wait and see."

DJ Carey appeared to have saved the Cats' skin when his 72nd-minute score put Kilkenny a point in front. Like all his team-mates he looked shell-shocked afterwards but not quite lost for words: "Well, sure there was very little talk about Wexford. But they did their homework, got it right on the day, and deserved to get a result.

"But that's sport. Unfortunately we're the ones that have to pick it up now, and try to go the different route. It will be difficult."

Also picking up the pieces after yesterday are Down, beaten in the Ulster final by Antrim and later drawing Galway in the qualifiers. For Westmeath, beaten earlier in the day by Dublin, a date has been set with Laois, and the winners of that play Clare.

Completing the draw was the high-profile meeting of Tipperary and Limerick. The dates and venues for all those qualifiers will be announced today.