Big Day Out In Croker (1st July 2007)

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With 4 teams taking part in the 3 games I suppose it makes sense to keep everything in one thread.

In the Leinster hurling final Wexford come in hope rather than expectation. A pretty average display against Dublin doesn't inspire confidence. The only consolation is that when the Wexford hurlers are written off normally they rise to the occasion, we can only hope.

In the football both teams have injuries. Rooney, Ryan, Sheehan, McDonald, Kavanagh and Garvan are all receiving treatment for Laois. Wallace, Banville, Morrissey and Murphy are all receiving treatment for Wexford. I am hoping that it will be fourth time lucky in our fourth consecutive Leinster football semi final.

The line up for the minor hurling was decided on Saturday, with Dublin hammering Wexford and Kilkenny narrowly defeating Laois. These close contests in minor in Leinster, and in the U-21 as well bodes well for the future of hurling in Leinster.

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They could start by spelling his name properly :rolleyes:
http://www.hoganstand.com/Wexford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=79248

Deeley wants football support
22 June 2007

Team captain Kieran Keeley has expressed disappointment at the low level of support being afforded to the Wexford senior footballers in their championship endeavours.

“We put in the same amount of work and all I can do is plead with the supporters to come out and support us the next day,” the Number 10 pleaded alluded to the fact that the hurlers seem to get a better deal. With the double-header planned for 1 July, Deeley wants the supporters to turn up in time for the football game and give a lie to any suggestion that the are in a supporting role on Leinster Hurling final Sunday. The team captain who was on hand in Wexford Park on Thursday last for the presentation of a €20,000 to the County Board from the Bank of Ireland sponsorship wants all the Wexford fans to be in Croke Park in time for the commencement of the football game.

Kieran hopes for a big effort from his colleagues and is expectant that the team will improve in the two weeks before the game against Laois.

http://www.hoganstand.com/Wexford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=79247

July 1st is Wexford day in Croker
22 June 2007

It won’t worry Paul Bealin too much if the Wexford senior footballers are cast in a supporting role on 1 July when the team contest yet another Leinster championship semi-final on an afternoon when the hurlers take on Kikenny in the hurling final.

Bealin will be concerned that the team as one journalist remarked almost ’snatched defeat from the jaws of victory’ against a poor Louth side. The manager was happy with the first-half performance especially following a period of competitive inactivity. “I knew we would find it tough to get out of the blocks,” he said.

The injury to Philip Wallace who had to retire just before half time in last Sunday’s game is a concern for Bealin. “We don’t have full-backs and the loss of Philip was very significant.”

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So no DOC for the football team. Ciaran Lyng is on both panels as well, he started for the footballers the last time and didn't make the bench for the hurlers so I assume he will be playing football on Sunday.

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=79405

hoganstand.com wrote:

Wexford hurling boss John Meyler has confirmed that dual player David ’Doc’ O’Connor will be giving the county hurlers his undivided attention on Sunday.

O’Connor is a member of the Wexford hurling and football panels, and both teams are in action at Croke Park on Sunday. However, an agreement has been reached between hurling manager Meyler and his football counterpart Paul Bealin that O’Connor will play for the hurlers against Kilkenny in the Leinster final, and thus won’t be available to the footballers for their provincial semi-final against Laois which takes place immediately beforehand.

“David will be playing for us,” said Meyler who went on to add: “There is a lot more athleticism in football nowadays and his involvement with the footballers could increase his speed so I had no problem with that (O’Connor joining the football squad).”

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Some injury updates for the football. Also in addition to this John Hudson is back in training for Wexford apparently

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=79450

hoganstand.com wrote:

Wexford manager Paul Bealin is sweating on the fitness of Philip Wallace and Adrian Morrissey ahead of Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final against Laois at Croke Park.

Full back Wallace suffered ankle ligament damage in the quarter-final win over Louth, while Morrissey dislocated his shoulder in a heavy fall during the same game.
Despite the injury concerns, team selector Padraig O’Gorman is confident that Wexford can upset the O’Moore men.

“This is our fourth semi-final in-a-row and the lads feel they need to move onto another level now,” he said.

Joe Higgins, Tom Kelly, Barry Brennan and Billy Sheehan have regained full fitness, but Laois look set to be without midfielder Noel Garvan who recently suffered ankle tendon and ligament damage. Corner back Aidan Fennelly is also struggling with injury.

As for the hurling hopefully Wexford can start the game like this
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=XIHHJNW6qfM
and finish like they did in 2004
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=9BuERRQQTeU

Orizio

I saw the Wexford hurlers play in Cork in the league and they were pretty dire, except for the last ten minutes(by which time Cork had basically given up).A real lack of bulk up front and just so little spirit.From what I understand the underage teams aren't much better.

I hope ye stick it up to Kilkenny, not just because its Kilkenny but because the greatest game of senior hurling I ever saw involved much of that Wexford team.

gerire

Saw a couple of Wexford games this year; League semi they were impressive, yet it looked like a completely different team against Dublin in the championship, they were the better team but struggled;

Big game of the day TBH is the Dublin minors having routed the Yellow bellies last saturday in Carlow they will be definately up for this game and have a great chance of beating a kilkenny team that looked a little shaky against laois

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Orizio wrote:

I saw the Wexford hurlers play in Cork in the league and they were pretty dire, except for the last ten minutes(by which time Cork had basically given up).A real lack of bulk up front and just so little spirit.From what I understand the underage teams aren't much better.

The lack of bulk in the forwards has been a problem for a number of years now. That is the main reason that DOC a full back has been placed at centre forward and Darren Stamp a half back has been placed at full forward. Quigley can also play in the forwards or midfield and adds some bulk in that area. In recent years the back were always under tremendous pressure as the ball would never stick around the forwards and would always come back.

The lack of spirit seems to have come from the previous management regime, in the regimes before that there was always a fighting spirit, e.g. against Kilkenny 2004, Tipperary 2001, Cork 2003. The current management seem to be instilling some spirit in the team, the addition of Kehoe and Fenlon as water carriers will help a bit in that department, and will also help with their experience.

The Wexford underage teams have not done well as of late. There are a few good players on the u21's who lost out narrowly to Dublin in the Leinster semi final

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Wexford have named the same team as the last day for the semi final against Laois. Also for anybody that is interested the Leinster Junior Football final between Wexford and Dublin is on tonight in Wexford Park at 7:30

Wexford (SF v Laois): J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, B Malone; A Morrissey, D Murphy, N Murphy; R Stafford, E Bradley; C Deely, R Barry, A Flynn; C Lyng, P Colfer, M Forde

Kojak

In the hurling final, I think that Wexford will have to try and do what they did against KK in 2004. In other words try and stretch their backs so that they will be out of position and run at the KK defence. Which is not something that they are fond of.

If Wexford also emply Stephen Nolan to catch some of the high puck-outs from Fitzhenry, then they could do like what Waterford done in the league final by using the hieght advantage to their benefit.

Even though the KK jersey brings out the best in Wexford, I would think that if they keep the loosing margin to single figures they will be doing well

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Kojak wrote:

In the hurling final, I think that Wexford will have to try and do what they did against KK in 2004. In other words try and stretch their backs so that they will be out of position and run at the KK defence. Which is not something that they are fond of.

If Wexford also emply Stephen Nolan to catch some of the high puck-outs from Fitzhenry, then they could do like what Waterford done in the league final by using the hieght advantage to their benefit.

Even though the KK jersey brings out the best in Wexford, I would think that if they keep the loosing margin to single figures they will be doing well

Well Stephen Nolan starts in the only change from the team against Dublin. I am not exactly sure what tactics Wexford are going to employ, but it looks like high balls on top of the half forward line. If they were going to run at them then Rory McCarthy would probably be playing. One worry is that we will now have had at least three free takers in two games, with Nolan probably taking the frees

Wexford (SH v Kilkenny): D Fitzhenry, P Roche, D Ruth, M Travers, R Kehoe, K Rossiter, C Kenny, D Lyng, E Quigley, M Jacob, D O'Connor, S Nolan, N Higgins, D Stamp, R Jacob.

blackbelt

Some very good news for Wexford,

Their footballers have been given a boost with injuries to the Laois team.Beano McDonald,Garvan and Fennelly are out injured and have little or no chance of starting against Wexford this Sunday.

Wexford have a real chance now.I am now strongly considering going this Sunday to witness a sort of upset.

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blackbelt wrote:

Some very good news for Wexford,

Their footballers have been given a boost with injuries to the Laois team.Beano McDonald,Garvan and Fennelly are out injured and have little or no chance of starting against Wexford this Sunday.

Wexford have a real chance now.I am now strongly considering going this Sunday to witness a sort of upset.

Garvan was ruled out a while ago and Fennelly has been doubtful, while apparently Joe Higgins, Tom Kelly, Barry Brennan and Billy Sheehan are back to full fitness.

I would be doubtful if the Wexford team will line out as named. Morrissey dislocated his shoulder in the Louth game, so Sunderland might start there. As for Wallace if he doesn't start I don't know who will play full back

blackbelt

I emailed RTE very quickly about showing the Laois-Wexford match on the website but they replied to say it won't be broadcasted.I will be going to the matches this Sunday as somebody has a ticket for me for the Lower Cusack.My main priority is the Dublin minor hurlers and after that I just hope to see a good game of football between Wexford and Laois with Wexford winning.Then I just care about seeing a good game of hurling not caring who wins.

The weather is supposed to be sh!te so it will probably be take away coffee and the Dublin rain-jacket as opposed to wearing the Dublin jersey,sunshine and a few pints of Bulmers.:mad:

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Good boost for the camp ahead of the game on Sunday.

Three late points from Patrick Sinnott helped Wexford to victory over Dublin in a thrilling Leinster JFC final at Wexford Park on Wednesday night.

Wexford……1-10
Dublin……….1-8

The home side, who had knocked out holders Meath in the semi-final, had the better of the first half exchanges and led by 1-4 to 0-4 at the break. The goal came from full forward Paddy Byrne in the 23rd minute after he latched onto a great pass from man of the match Johnny Mernagh.

But with Kevin Devine and Padraig Brennan gaining the upper hand at midfield, Dublin fought back after the restart and with 10 minutes remaining, Graham Cullen found the net to leave the sides level on 1-7 apiece. However, Sinnott’s late scoring flurry saw Wexford bridge a seven-year gap in the grade.

Scorers – Wexford: P Sinnott 0-6, P Byrne 1-1, D Farrell, W Hudson, P Atkinson 0-1 each. Dublin: G Cullen 1-0, K Leahy 0-4, M Forde, K Kavanagh, D Kelly, B O’Hanlon 0-1 each.

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Laois have named their team for Sundays game, changes in the full back line and the full forward line

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=79570

hoganstand.com wrote:

Tom Kelly and Donie Brennan come into the Laois team for Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final against Wexford at Croke Park.

Kelly, who missed the quarter-final win over Longford through injury, replaces the injured Aidan Fennelly at full back, while under 21 star Brennan is an indirect replacement for Noel Garvan, who is also ruled out through injury.

Brennan, who was dropped from the panel at the start of the year only to be reinstated after the under 21 campaign, is named at right corner forward with Michael John Tierney switching to the half forward line and Brendan Quigley moving from full forward to midfield where he will partner his cousin Padraig Clancy.

Gary Kavanagh and Barry Brennan weren’t considered for selection due to injuries, while Billy Sheehan has to be content with a place on the subs’ bench once again.

Commenting on former All-Star Kelly’s long-awaited return, Laois boss Liam Kearns said: “Tom Kelly is one of our best players but he’s missed three months.

“He played against Down in the league and was man of the match but he played no more league games after that. He returned then and played very well against Kerry in a challenge but was out again for the last five or six weeks.”

Laois (SF v Wexford): F Byron; C Ryan, T Kelly, J Higgins; P McMahon, D Rooney, B McCormack; P Clancy, B Quigley; R Munnelly, C Conway, MJ Tierney; D Brennan, P Lawlor, B McDonald.

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Rumours are that beano is out injured, can anybody confirm if this is true?

blackbelt

Check my earlier post CW.

Slan agus Beannacht.

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blackbelt wrote:

Check my earlier post CW.

Slan agus Beannacht.

Ah yes but since your post the team was announced with him in it, I am looking for a fresh injury update not old news Which is

Speculation is mounting that Brian ’Beano’ McDonald won’t start Laois’ Leinster SFC semi-final against Wexford at Croke Park on Sunday.

McDonald was included in manager Liam Kearns’ team selection earlier this week, but reports suggest that the Arles/Killeen man will miss out with a back injury. If this proves to be the case, his place at left corner forward is expected to be filled by Kerry native Billy Sheehan, who was introduced during the quarter-final win over Longford.

Kearns is already planning for Sunday’s game without injured stars Noel Garvan, Gary Kavanagh and Barry Brennan, but Tom Kelly returns at full back after a three-month lay-off.

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Kilkenny have finally named their team for tomorrows game

Kilkenny (SH v Wexford): PJ Ryan; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, JJ Delaney; J Fitzpatrick, M Fennelly; W O’Dwyer, H Shefflin, E Larkin; E Reid, M Comerford, E Brennan

blackbelt

Well it is just under 24 hours since Wexford lost the double in Croke Park.This time yesterday,20 minutes of the Linster hurling where played and it was done and dusted 10 minutes ago.

Cruiserweight,it must be shocking and gut wrenching to lose two matches in one day but I feel now is the time to come out of hiding and give us your comments.

Lemlin

blackbelt wrote:

Well it is just under 24 hours since Wexford lost the double in Croke Park.This time yesterday,20 minutes of the Linster hurling where played and it was done and dusted 10 minutes ago.

Cruiserweight,it must be shocking and gut wrenching to lose two matches in one day but I feel now is the time to come out of hiding and give us your comments.

What's with you? Give the lad a day or two to get over the killer hangover I'm sure he has from drowning his sorrows.

blackbelt

Whats with me?I do hope you are not serious Lemlin

I am not rubbing it in or laughing at CW,far from it.I like Cruiserweight.I firmly believe responding as quick as you can is better therapy.Just get it off your chest/out of your system and then move on.Thats what I have always done when Dublin got knocked out.

I feel for the man.Wexford lost their second Croker double in as many years.Wexford had Laois on the ropes until the goal.Wexford are hard done by as far as the football is concerned.The goal would have buried Laois in my opinion and I feel Wexford would have popped over a few more points.Wexford were v impressive in the first 20 minutes and I was rubbing my hands in delight thinking we might see a different Leinster Final and Wexford finally getting past that semi-final block.Their fans are a joy to share the banter with.

My thoughts and prayers are with you CW.I hope you beat Fermanagh.

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blackbelt wrote:

My thoughts and prayers are with you CW.

Jesus I don't have cancer or do you know something I don't

There is not that much that can be said about the hurling, except that I feel for Declan Ruth. The man has given his all to Wexford down through the years, and what happened was sad to see and it may actually be his last game for Wexford.

In the football Wexford got off to a great start which the hadn't done in their recent semi finals. But once Laois brought Tom Kelly out to centre back it made a huge difference to their team, this had happened after Eric Bradley who had been playing very well went off injured. At this stage Wexford were still in the lead but then that was over in two minutes, a goal for Laois and a man sent off, no complaints about either. One thing I can complain about is the disallowed goal for Wexford, at that stage Wexford were well on top and as Blackbelt said it may have sunk Laois. It also would have made a difference when Wexford were reduced to 14 men as we would have had something to hold onto rather than chase the game.

Anyway no complaints Laois won far and square, and another year of disappointment. On the positive side Ciaran Lyng had another good game for Wexford in only his second championship outing. On the negative side only a week to prepare for another tough champioship game. The same happened last year when Wexford had to play a semi final and two qualifier games in consecutive weeks. The game they lost being away to Fermanagh. So lets hope that Wallace and Bradley are back fit and we reverse last years result.

Flukey

Well Wexford have Matty Forde this time when they play Fermanagh. Although anyone that was in the Lower Cusack towards the Hill 16 end will know that he was lucky to be on the field after a certain incident. Not as bad as last year, but it wouldn't have been seen on the TV as he hit the Laois man from the side away from the camera. Anyway, that should be an interesting match.

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Flukey wrote:

Well Wexford have Matty Forde this time when they play Fermanagh. Although anyone that was in the Lower Cusack towards the Hill 16 end will know that he was lucky to be on the field after a certain incident. Not as bad as last year, but it wouldn't have been seen on the TV as he hit the Laois man from the side away from the camera. Anyway, that should be an interesting match.

I was in the Upper Cusack and saw it, it was stupid you think he would have learnt his lesson but no. Although Parkinson did go down pretty easily. This time he received a yellow, that is his punishment.

blackbelt

No CW you don't but Wexford were hard done by in my opinion.The goal wasn't exactly dubious in my opinion.What can be construed as a step anyway?The way I saw it,the player took 9 miniature steps which would equate into 4 steps roughly.Watch the replay on Setanta and those steps were tiny.

Laois got out of jail.I didn't think they deserved to win with their performance.It was more a case of Wexford losing than Laois winning.The sending off totally disrupted Wexfords tactics.I thought the tactic Wexford had straight after the goal was to create a stop in play to break Laois momentum but it failed.

The Sunday game highlights did no justice to how poorly Laois played.In the first half too many balls were being kicked out to the wing only to have the ball go out over the sideline.Laois start reminded me of how they started against Dublin last year.

Fermanagh await Wexford.I think Wexford will fall in this fixture.They will probably come out of the blocks like they did against Laois and then the second half will see Fermanagh play out of their skins.Wexford remind me of a bottle of lemonade that had been shook for ages,when opened all the fizz and drink exploded and spilled out and then nothing.

The hurling was terrible.No excuse for Wexford on that front.

cruiserweight

blackbelt wrote:

No CW you don't but Wexford were hard done by in my opinion.The goal wasn't exactly dubious in my opinion.What can be construed as a step anyway?The way I saw it,the player took 9 miniature steps which would equate into 4 steps roughly.Watch the replay on Setanta and those steps were tiny.

Laois got out of jail.I didn't think they deserved to win with their performance.It was more a case of Wexford losing than Laois winning.The sending off totally disrupted Wexfords tactics.I thought the tactic Wexford had straight after the goal was to create a stop in play to break Laois momentum but it failed.

The Sunday game highlights did no justice to how poorly Laois played.In the first half too many balls were being kicked out to the wing only to have the ball go out over the sideline.Laois start reminded me of how they started against Dublin last year.

Fermanagh await Wexford.I think Wexford will fall in this fixture.They will probably come out of the blocks like they did against Laois and then the second half will see Fermanagh play out of their skins.Wexford remind me of a bottle of lemonade that had been shook for ages,when opened all the fizz and drink exploded and spilled out and then nothing.

The hurling was terrible.No excuse for Wexford on that front.

The free out was given against Colfer, he hopped the ball after 4 steps and then took a couple more before passing. I don't think the ref saw the hop as there were bodies in the way.

My biggest concern for the Fermanagh game is the injuries and suspensions. Wallace pulled out of the Laois game at the last minute, if he had been there Laois may not have gotten their goal. Eric Bradley went off injured and that is when Laois started getting on top in midfield. David Murphy is suspended that is his second red card in 12 months. The loss of Kinsella earlier in the year doesn't help either. I don't think we have the strength and depth to cover those losses, some of the players who came on on Sunday don't play senior football for their clubs.