Wexford to take it easy

Wexford won't be making any noises at having to replay the All-Ireland semi-final with Cork six days after the draw.

Selector and intercounty referee Dickie Murphy said the team were happy to be still involved after Sunday's sensational finish brought them level in the dying moments.

"To be fair, GAC gave us an extra week for the Waterford match so we've no complaints there. Anyway we knew coming up that any replay would be on the Saturday and it's the same for both teams."

Manager John Conran, his selectors and the players, had a day out golfing yesterday and held a team meeting last night to consider one of the county's best performances - if not the best - since winning the All-Ireland in 1996.

"I don't know whether we deserved to win it," said Murphy, "but I don't think we deserved to lose. I saw statistics saying that we had 20 scores from 30 chances while Cork had 22 from 42."

The short gap may be a particular problem for the team as they have an older panel of players than Cork but the days ahead will place little demand on them.

"Larry O (Gorman) is the oldest at 35 but we've a few around the 30 mark," according to Murphy. "But we won't be doing much, certainly not much training before Saturday."

Experience has been that Saturday replays don't attract the same crowd as the drawn encounters. But Murphy believes that Wexford's support will hold. "At the beginning of last week we expected about 50,000 to turn up - two sets of 25,000 but the extra crowds were all Cork. They had a huge support."

So huge that it was a record turnout for Cork supporters at Croke Park, according to county chairman Jim Forbes. "It was the biggest following ever to leave Cork in support of a county team. We were expecting 25,000 but it ended up at 35,000, if not more.

"The stories we're hearing suggest as much, with some people not getting back to Carrigaline, where I live, until 11.00 or midnight. It'll be hard to get the same crowd out on a Saturday. A lot of people work on Saturdays. But the minors are playing on Sunday. Tickets will be going on sale in Páirc Uí Rinn on Thursday."

Cork have no injury worries for the replay with only the usual bumps and bruises after Sunday's draw. Wexford have concerns about corner back Dave Guiney who hurt his shoulder during the match but he is expected to recover.

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody has deferred naming a team to face Tipperary in Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final. A number of players - DJ Carey, Henry Shefflin and Jimmy Coogan - are carrying knocks and Cody is determined to give them every chance of playing in the game.

Defender Richie Mullally, however, has no chance of making the game despite making rapid progress from a broken ankle.

Cody's Tipperary counterpart, Michael Doyle, should name tonight. In-form John Carroll is expected to be fit after receiving intensive treatment for an ankle injury.