Wexford start Darragh Egan era with shock Limerick win

Wexford 1-11 Limerick 0-11

Darragh Egan got his management of the Wexford hurlers off to an unexpectedly good start at Chadwicks Wexford Park with a scrappy but hugely entertaining win over All-Ireland champions Limerick.

Egan reflected on the turnaround from the previous week’s Walsh Cup final thumping by Dublin.

“Really happy with our full-back line today - obviously it was a poor performance in Croke Park last weekend but I did think our full-back line dealt with the pressure very well up there so it’s going to have to be a platform to build on.

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“We also need to be mindful that Limerick had a lot of wides in the first half, they really left us in the game and we took that opportunity we were struggling a bit to get it past their half-back line but it was a good goal by Mikey to turn the tide, we’re happy with the performance but lots to work on over the next few weeks.”

The champions, like many a team before them, found hurling in the wind that blows in from Clonard to be a tricky business and hit 18 wides. Clearly yet to hit their stride after the offseason, Limerick looked to have subdued the Wexford resistance in the second half as they nursed a two-point lead into the final quarter.

February hurling, complicated by the wind, gave the contest the easily followed texture of a football match, points coming slowly as defences dominated.

A goal from Mikie Dwyer just before the hour turned the match off its presumed course and created a lively finale, as Limerick tried to regain the initiative in the closing 10 minutes.

Wexford deserved the win. They utilised the wind in the second half to create chances and stuck doggedly to the task of staying in touch throughout even if, as John Kiely remarked, his team’s profligacy functioned as a life-support system for the home side.

In the second half, Matthew O'Hanlon in the unusual position of corner-back, and full-back Liam Ryan were excellent in preventing chances for Limerick. Goalkeeper Mark Fanning didn't have much luck on long-range frees but his big hitting was used by Wexford to clear the ball up the far end of the field and although it wasn't initially paying out, eventually the early ball took its toll and Conor McDonald won a couple of impressive possessions from All Star full-b ack Dan Morrissey.

Nine of Limerick's All-Ireland winning team lined out for the match and although they started slowly, there was never much in it and as half-time approached, they overturned a two-point deficit to lead at the break, 0-7 tom 0-6, by one, thanks to two points by Gearóid Hegarty and a long-range free from Diarmaid Byrnes.

Wexford set up ambitiously in orthodox formation, using the width of the pitch and unafraid to take Limerick on at their own game, whether trying to run through the middle or in the second half, launching a succession of long balls into the unpromising terrain of the Limerick full-backs.

The champions' defence had been well on top in the early stages and any attempt to find a purchase was foiled, at times by underfoot conditions, which saw players on both sides losing their balance. McDonald slipped when an early chance arose but in the 18th minute, he nearly got in when Damien Reck created an opening but Nickie Quaid saved brilliantly. McDonald was to find his feet in the second half.

Jack O’Connor lined out at centre forward and caused a lot of problems with his energy and work rate. He also converted some tricky frees into the wind in the first half and after the break struck over a lovely point, getting on the ball in the middle of the field and instinctively striking over for Wexford’s first point of the second half.

Ironically, it was his underhit free that led to the goal. In the 59th minute, the low flying ball was snapped up by Dwyer, who tried to solo around the defence - and may have been fouled or taken too many steps - but as he fell, he got off a shot that flew into the corner Quaid’s goal to wrest back the lead, 1-9 to 0-11.

McDonald won the next high ball and squeezed over a point under pressure and when Conal Flood galloped up from wing back to shoot his second point, there was a goal in it. Again McDonald nearly got in for a goal but didn’t get quite enough on the shot.

There was drama at the end as Limerick chased the goal. A free was signalled just before Hegarty crashed the ball into the net in the 72nd minute but Byrnes couldn’t engineer anything from either it or a consequent 65.

“It’s hard to put your finger on it immediately after the game,” said Kiely, “but we didn’t get enough of our flow going. We didn’t get enough passing movements going and that continuity piece from the middle third into the final third, the ball broke down too many occasions in that sector.”

Wexford: M Fanning; S Donohoe, L Ryan, M O'Hanlon; D Reck, P Foley, C Flood (0-2); D O'Keeffe (0-1), C Dunbar; L McGovern, J O'Connor (0-5, four frees), C McGuckin; O Foley (0-2), C McDonald (0-1), M Dwyer (1-0).

Subs: D Dunne for Dunbar (59 mins), O Pepper for McGuckin (64 mins), P Morris for O'Connor (70 mins).

Limerick: N Quaid; B Nash, D Morrissey, R English; D Byrnes (0-3, 65 and two frees), D Hannon (0-1), C Coughlan; R Hanley (0-1), W O'Donoghue; C O'Neill, T Morrissey, G Hegarty (0-3); A Gillane (0-2, frees), P Ryan, D Reidy (0-1, free).

Subs: S Flanagan for Gillane (half-time), O O'Reilly for Ryan (46 mins), C Boylan for Coughlan (60 mins), D O'Connell for Reidy (67 mins), B O'Grady for Hanley (70 mins).

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford)