Gaelic Games

Keith Rossiter tastes early silverware as Wexford beat Galway in Walsh Cup final

‘We just want them working hard and hurling for each other and they did that today and they did it the previous days’

Galway's Ronan Glennon and Lee Chin of Wexford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Galway's Ronan Glennon and Lee Chin of Wexford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Sun Jan 28 2024 - 17:42
Walsh Cup final: Wexford 1-21 Galway 0-16

New Wexford manager Keith Rossiter smiled at the suggestion of instant success.

Sure, he has guided his native county to an 18th Dioralyte Walsh Cup win just three games into his reign, with morale boosting wins over Kilkenny and now Galway on the way.

Lee Chin, who struck nine points from centre-forward, stood out and was part of a powerful half-forward line that contributed 0-14 in total with James Byrne and Jack O’Connor either side of him excellent too.

But for Rossiter it was a return to Dr Cullen Park in Carlow and the venue where the Wexford under-20s – who he was in charge of – lost a Leinster final to Offaly last summer, so he argued that success has been a while coming.

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“I was over the under-20s the last two years and they didn’t get it [silverware] so it’s nice to finally get something over the line,” shot back Rossiter to the suggestion of being an overnight success.

“We just want them working hard and hurling for each other and they did that today and they did it the previous days. As long as that continues, all the better. It’ll make my job a little bit easier if it keeps continuing like that. But as I keep saying, it was great to win the semi-final, it was great to win today but we’re playing Kilkenny in Nowlan Park next weekend and that’s not going to be easy.”

Galway's Daniel Loftus and Seamus Casey of Wexford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Galway's Daniel Loftus and Seamus Casey of Wexford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Wexford only had three starters from the team that exited last year’s championship; Chin, O’Connor and Kevin Foley. There won’t necessarily be sweeping changes for the league opener, though, as Rossiter reported a significant injury list that may not clear up until midway through the campaign.

The players he did have were fit and sharp and deservedly led 0-11 to 0-8 at half-time. Tom Monaghan and Kevin Cooney showed up well for Galway in attack but they were wiped out in the middle third and only scored nine points from play in total.

Cooney limped off with what boss Henry Shefflin described as “a bad hamstring injury”. Along with Cathal Mannion and Brian Concannon, he is expected to miss Saturday’s league opener against Westmeath while the All-Ireland club winning St Thomas’ players haven’t returned yet.

“In terms of the game, it was played completely on Wexford’s terms,” acknowledged Shefflin.

Wexford: A Duggan; N Murphy, C Foley, E Ryan; C McGuckin, D Reck, C Molloy; C Hearne (0-1), C Byrne Dunbar (0-3); J O’Connor (0-2), L Chin (0-9, five frees), J Byrne (0-3); R Lawlor (0-1), C Byrne (0-2), K Foley.

Subs: S Casey (1-0) for C Byrne (56 mins), C Dunbar for Hearne (58 mins), S Donohoe for Molloy (65 mins), J Doran for Chin (67-69 mins, blood), Doran for Lawlor (69 mins), D Carley for K Foley (71 mins).

Galway: E Murphy; J Grealish, E Lawless, D Loftus; R Glennon, G McInerney, D Concannon; T Killeen, I McGlynn; J Cooney, T Monaghan (0-3), S O’Hanlon (0-1); A Connaire (0-2), K Cooney (0-5, four frees), G Thomas (0-1).

Subs: G Lee for Killeen (half-time), C Fahy for Concannon (half-time), E Niland (0-2, two frees) for K Cooney (46 mins), S Linnane for O’Hanlon (49 mins), D Morrissey for McGlynn (51 mins), M McManus (0-1) for Thomas (56 mins), D O’Shea (0-1, 65) for Connaire (61 mins).

Referee: O Beehan (Kilkenny)