Wexford GAA 2008

Sport
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Wexford’s Stephen Nolan faces a race against time to be fit for the Leinster SHC semi-final with Dublin on Saturday.

The attacker has still not recovered from a thumb injury received in a club league game a number of weeks back.

X-rays revealed damaged ligaments in his thumb which has curtailed his training activities while he has been unable to partake in any hurling practice over the past three weeks, leaving him as a huge doubt for the clash at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.

While the Faythe Harriers sharpshooter, the Slaneysiders’ number one free-taker, has been undergoing intensive treatment since receiving the injury and sat out last night’s training session in Wexford Park, leaving the Wexford team management with somewhat of quandary before finalising their side.

Team Manager John Meyler admitted: 'We really don’t know what the position with Stephen is at the moment. He’s had the injury X-rayed but he’s been unable to train over the past number of weeks.

‘That’s a call we’ll have to make when we finalise the team on Wednesday night. At this stage one would have to admit he’s a huge doubt. We will look at it again on Wednesday to see if Stephen is able to train. Then we’ll have to make a call and decide what’s best for the team and the player.’

While Meyler admitted that the loss of Nolan would be a blow, he announced himself happy with full-back Keith Rossiter.

‘We took Keith out of the Galway challenge as a precaution. He has trained since. Keith wants to play and we’re happy with that. He looks eager and is very sharp in training. We’ve no other injury doubts. All the other players are 100% fit and clearly looking forward to the challenge.’

And Meyler insisted that the Model men’s poor league campaign is firmly behind them.

‘Now is the time to mix it with the big boys for the summer is here. If we mix it with the big boys, get a win on Saturday afternoon the league will be behind us. The challenge for us is to step up, meet the Dubs head-on and fashion out a result. We have the skill levels. Now we must mix it with passion and heart, bring consistency to our play, and that should see us get through.’

But the Wexford manager knows that the improving Metropolitans will prove a major obstacle to overcome.

Meyler added: ‘But it will be mighty tough as we’ve found out in our last two meetings - Championship and league - with Dublin. One was a draw, we got a late goal, while in the Championship last year it was a late pointed free that edged us through. That’s how tough it’s going to be.’

422

Eh, not for the last few years we don’t. First touch and high fielding has been poor for years now.

423

Well the Leitrim Galway game isn’t the only game of interest to the regular posters of TFK.com this weekend. Given we’ve had an awful league and are missing a number of players I still think we may have too much for Dublin. Think there’ll only be a couple of points in it at the end but this really is Dublins best chance to get one over on us. A defeat would be hard to stomach but you get the sense that nothing will change unless we lose one of these games against a county that isnt one of the “traditional superpowers”.

I’ve only seen them in the flesh twice this year, against KK in the league and the Galway challenge match. Neither filled me with confidence but I know there’s a lot more ability in some of these lads than they’ve been showing this year. I just think that the current management team aren’t getting the best out of them but all the same we should get behind them this weekend and show the rest of the country that we are at least the second best team in Leinster.

424

Philip Brennan is out for Dublin anyway. Team is supposed to be named this evening.

425

We’re naming our team tomorrow night. I see Pikeman over on the Wexford site saying RTE have reported that Colm Farrell is out injured. He joins Ciaran Kenny and Barry Lambert on the disabled list if so and Stephen Nolan is very doubtful too. A fit Keith Rossiter is crucial to us and he looked class during his brief outing against Galway last week despite missing a good bit of training. Due to the absence of real alternatives for some positions I’d go for:

Fitzhenry;
Travers; Rossiter; Roche;
M Jacob; O’Connor; Doran;
Stamp; Furlong;
PJ Nolan; Quigley; Lyng;
Redmond; S Nolan; R Jacob;

Stamp might be wing back if Farrell is fit to play midfield with Doran losing out and Stephen Banville is also an option upfront. I think we are better than Dublin and should beat them despite our inconsistent form and injury issues.

426

I heard something to that effect also. The story I heard (which is unconfirmed at the moment) was that one players cars was alledgedly damaged in a hit and run after training recently (think the bumper was pushed in), the victim is certain he saw another player do the damage and speed off. As you can imagine the victim is fooking ragin over it and had a go at training the next night.

We’ll beat Dublin by 3 points by the way and be competitive in the Leinster Final for 28 minutes this year. I just hope lads like Gavin and Appendage actually show up on Saturday and get behind the lads instead of spreading false rumours on internet forums.

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Dublin (SH v Wexford):

Gary Maguire; (Ballyboden)

N Corcoran, (Kilmacud Crokes)
Stephen Hiney, (Ballyboden)
Tomas Brady; (Na Fianna)

Michael Carton, (O’Tooles)
Ronan Fallon, (St. Vincents)
Joey Boland; (Na Fianna)

Johnny McCaffrey, (Lucan Sarsfields)
Simon Lambert; (Ballyboden)

James Burke, (Kilmacud Crokes)
Declan ODwyer, (Olafs)
Kevin Flynn; (O’Tooles)

David OCallaghan, (St. Marks)
John Kelly, (St. Marks)
Ross OCarroll. (Kilmacud Crokes)

428

Anyone know Stephen Nolans fitness? without him getting the scores we will be under pressure to win.

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[quote=“briantinnion”]I heard something to that effect also. The story I heard (which is unconfirmed at the moment) was that one players cars was alledgedly damaged in a hit and run after training recently (think the bumper was pushed in), the victim is certain he saw another player do the damage and speed off. As you can imagine the victim is fooking ragin over it and had a go at training the next night.

We’ll beat Dublin by 3 points by the way and be competitive in the Leinster Final for 28 minutes this year. I just hope lads like Gavin and Appendage actually show up on Saturday and get behind the lads instead of spreading false rumours on internet forums.[/quote]

I heard that story last night too Tinnion.

Not sure about Stephen Nolan padjo - initially it was considered that serious an injury but it’s concerning enough that he hasn’t trained since. We could do with him for his size and strength but also as a specialist freetaker. Rory Jacob missed 3 scoreable frees against Galway last week and has never looked comfortable on them for Wexford.

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I actually heard that 2 of them were messing with a ball in the car park after training, one lad hit it to the other - and surprisingly missing his target he broke the side window of another lad’s car.

Hence the flare up in training where apparently fists were flying.

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[quote=“Appendage”]I actually heard that 2 of them were messing with a ball in the car park after training, one lad hit it to the other - and surprisingly missing his target he broke the side window of another lad’s car.

Hence the flare up in training where apparently fists were flying.[/quote]

Was it not you criticising people earlier in the week Appendage for what they had “heard” from a mate or a friend or a family member etc.?

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True that was indeed me.

However, I’m not exactly incriminating anyone here.

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The Wexford team has been announced and it’s the exact same starting XV that took on Galway last Monday week. Stephen Nolan obviously wasn’t deemed fit enough to start but I still reckon we’ll have enough to beat Dublin. From RTE:

Wexford reveal side to face Dublin

Wednesday, 11 June 2008 23:24

The Wexford team to play Dublin in the semi-final of the Leinster SHC has been named, with championship debuts being handed to Colm Farrell at midfield, and Stephen Banville and David Redmond in the full-forward line.

Another notable change sees Michael Jacob at half-back rather than his customary place in the forwards.

Diarmuid ‘Gizzy’ Lyng is named at wing-forward in an effort to bolster the attack.

David O’Connor anchors the defence at centre-back following his indifferent season in the forwards in 2007.

WEXFORD team to play Dublin in the Leinster SHC, Nowlan Park, 4.15pm:

Damien Fitzhenry,
Malachy Travers, Keith Rossiter, Paul Roche,
Michael Jacob, David O’Connor, Darren Stamp,
M.J. Furlong, Colm Farrell,
PJ Nolan, Eoin Quigley, Diarmuid Lyng,
David Redmond, Stephen Banville, Rory Jacob (Capt).

Schoolboy error on my part - Dermot Flynn deputised for Fitzhenry in the recent Galway challenge but it’s the same 14 outfield players.

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I’ll be pedantic Bandage and point out that its not the same as Ciaran Kenny started against Galway. 13 out of 15 isn’t bad though.

435

Mac, you’re wrong about Ciarn Kenny starting against Galway as he broke his thumb in training the week before and was standing beside the forum’s very own Gavin for the whole game. So there.

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Very worried about midfield. Furlong never impressed in the Wexford jersey and Farrell is making his debut.
Forward are inexperienced too. Gizzy moves from midfield to half back, now to half forward. PJ makes his debut along with Redmond and Banville.
And of course MJacob is half back but apparently doing well. DOC can be a bot slow for centre back but hope he cleans up.
No Stephen Nolan means Rory is on the frees. Can be good at them but prone sometimes to missing a few.
Ball is in Dublin’s court…

437

My mistake and I apologise, I arrived late and was told by one of the stewards that Kenny went off injured.

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That’ll teach you. I accept the apologise as it stands but would have welcomed a profuse apology even more.

439

Don’t push your luck now…

Anyway getting back to the topic. I think its a risky team but there’s no-one else to bring in off the line other than maybe Tommy Dwyer and Willie Doran. We’ve no-one else who’s tried and trusted at intercounty.

I think we have enough to beat them but by god it’ll be close. Licksy on the wxsupporters site put up a great post about the team that I’d have to agree with.

440

Looking forward to the game tomorrow now and I’m going to boldly predict that we’ll beat them comfortably enough. I’m not declaring us world-beaters by any means but I think we’re a better side than them and our defence, particularly the full back line, should deprive them of scores, while our half forward line could do damage. Midfield would be a bit of a concern due to the relative inexperience of the pairing and the fact that they’ve hardly played together but I wouldn’t expect us to get cleaned out there either. One of the Dublin midfielders (Lambert) is a rookie too and I don’t think they’ve the strength in depth all over the park to get the better of us. Prediction: Wexford 2-18 Dublin 1-15.