Yeah, guilty as charged. I must’ve looked absolutely hammered. Was told to go for a walk for 10-15 mins to sober up and then come back. Thats what happens when you start drinking at 1.30 on a Sunday afternoon.
Not a sweeping statement at all Bandage. I would agree that we should end Kerry’s 3 in a row this year and finish as the only unbeaten team in Ireland (which we still are)
I know though that I will be advocating the move for Wexford footballers to a more competetive Ulster province. It’s not doing our lads any good with the uncompetitive games in Leinster to further our advancement in the latter stages of the championship.
As for our hurlers…
Muck.
You looked hammered at 2.30 in the afternoon.
Lightweight.
I think we should cut the hurlers some slack. We were cruising having scored 2-15 after 50 minutes and it was only Travers getting sent off that allowed them back into the game. At least we looked more organised and had our players playing in positions that suited them. However, I do agree that by beating Dublin we’re just going to take a bullet for them in the Leinster Final.
ye mightnt have seen the sunday game lads but ye got great praise altogether for the quality of football, it looked great to be honest.
I have an inkling for Westemeath next weekend but I think ye have nothing to fear from the Dubs anyways
I have cut them plenty of slack-I haven’t posted how shit they were.
My ratings:
Masterson 8: No saves to make. Came off his line well a couple of times. Took one good catch. Kick-outs generally good bar one in the second half.
Malone 7: Not as prominent as against Meath. Still did well though. Great tackler and doesn’t give away frees.
Wallace 5: Got a bit of a roasting in truth. Played from behind too much and stood off Parkinson.
Murphy, N 7: Picked up an early booking but did very well on Tierney. Defended solidly and carried the ball forward purposefully. Went off injured.
Morrissey 9: Exceptional. 2 points from play and was really composed coming forward in possession. Also covered right across the half back line and was class.
Murphy, D 8: Excellent game again. Dominated the middle, especially in the second half, and was a solid platfrom from where we launched our attacks.
Morris 7: Pretty much neutralised Munnelly but sacrificed his own attacking game to do so. I think he’s troubled by a groin injury but he’s a great player.
Doyle 7.75: Saw off the first Laois midfielder after 20 minutes, kicked a point and won a steady stream of ball all day. He’ll probably be a ‘horses for courses’ type player and will come in and out based on the opposition’s size and physicality. Ryan was again proved right by including him. Docking him 0.25 for being ginger.
Howlin 8: Big game from him. Gives us great presence around the middle and very mobile also.
Barry 9: A football genius.
Bradley 7.75: Worked hard all through and kicked a second half point. Was a strong part of a middle third that dominated. Also turned over a great ball in the second half under the Hogan Stand from which we scored. Docking him 0.25 for being ginger.
Flynn 7.5: Much, much better than against Meath. Picked up a load of breaks and used the ball well in the main. Ran himself into the ground.
Lyng 7: Won most of the ball that came into him and got one point. Should have scored a goal too but looking pretty dangerous again this season.
Forde 8: Kicked 8 wides apparently but also kicked 6 points. Roasted Joe Higgins, who couldn’t get near him. Looks to be in the groove and will make Westmeath suffer in the final.
Banville 8: Three points from play and full of effort, desire and movement. Great display.
Subs:
Walsh 6: Solid and steady.
Roche 7: Super left footed point from the wing.
Stafford 6: Helped shore up the middle and see the game out.
Can’t remember if anyone else came on.
Manager:
Ryan 10: Job for life.
Gwan Wexford!
Very good win for the footballers yest, great to be in the leinster final. But, in hindsight lads, we beat a shite laois team. I agree with bandage that we didn’t play great, but everyone outside the county seems to think we played cracking football, i looked at the sunday game and it did look alot better on tv. As for the hurling, well a win is a win, though we actually played a good bramd of hurling for 40-50 minutes, but once malachy got the line we didn’t win any ball in the forwards, and that was because gizzy was brought back, and he did very well when brought back. I thought midfield was poor enough, in particular pj nolan, he’s a fine hurler but to windy for midfield, i wouldn’t mind but it wasn’t exactly high intensity stuff so he’d be rightly fucked against top teams.
Would agree with all your ratings there bandage, with MOTM going to either d. murphy or morrisey. Never thought Murphy’s footballing ability was excellent but proved me wrong yest.
The odds to win the Leinster hurling title are in from Paddy Powers :
Kilkenny 1/25 , Wexford 9/1
tough one to call !!!
Personally, I reckon Kilkenny might be too strong for us. That said it’s great to be in both provincial senior finals. Of course we’ve got the minor hurling semi-final replay to come and the minor footballers have their semi-final coming up too. Our U-21 hurlers are also due to open their campaign and they’ll be looking to match their football counterparts by at least getting to a Leinster Final. All in all, it’s been a cracking season for Wexford so far and there’s still more to come.
[quote=“Bandage”]Personally, I reckon Kilkenny might be too strong for us. That said it’s great to be in both provincial senior finals. Of course we’ve got the minor hurling semi-final replay to come and the minor footballers have their semi-final coming up too. Our U-21 hurlers are also due to open their campaign and they’ll be looking to match their football counterparts by at least getting to a Leinster Final. All in all, it’s been a cracking season for Wexford so far and there’s still more to come.
[/quote]
only a matter of time before the wheels come off
Where’s you team again DB?
Well, it’s nice to have travelled some distance and got a few wins even if those wheels eventually do come off. Certain other counties’ wheels tend to come off before they’ve even left their proverbial driveways.
[quote=“Pikeman”]Where’s you team again DB?
[/quote]
It’s in the North West of Ireland Pikey. Bordered by Roscommon, Fermanagh, Donegal, Sligo, Longford and Cavan. You will see it on any map
[quote=“Bandage”]Well, it’s nice to have travelled some distance and got a few wins even if those wheels eventually do come off. Certain other counties’ wheels tend to come off before they’ve even left their proverbial driveways.
[/quote]
i know what its like to see my preferred county win a provincial football title bandage. you haven’t, won’t this year and i dare say ever will.
In GAA terms?
How are the Hurling team doing?
Or the footballers?
Or would you be needing AA to put the wheels on for ye?
I know what it’s like for my county to win a national title. Won in this millenium too!
you haven’t, won’t next year and i dare say ever will.
As I said to Bandage yesterday it’s a great story for Wexford to reach their first provincial footballer since Ronnie Delaney won gold for Ireland in 1956. They will be seen as heroes in the Model County even if they do get annilated by Dublin.
I do fancy the hurlers to do Kilkenny though…
Fantastic display by the footballers. No denying that Laois were poor but 16 points from play is very impressive no matter what the opposition. The team looks very confident and mentally strong at the moment. A lot of teams on the brink of a historic break-through would have got nervous when the lead was reduced to 3 points, but this team just went up another gear and pulled away.
My ratings are:
Masterson 7 - Little to do but won the high balls he had to come for and can’t have many complaints with the kickouts.
Malone 7 - Rarely drops below the high standards he has set for himself. Would like to see him mark Alan Brogan should we meet Dublin.
Wallace 5 - Very worrying to see the normally assured full back getting such a run around. Well capable of bouncing back though and hopefully this was just a one-off.
N. Murphy 7 - feared for him after his early booking but kept Tierney very quiet.
Morrissey 9 - Apart from his two points, he set up a few scores, used the ball well, covered a lot of ground and most importantly defended well.
D. Murphy 8 - one of his best games for Wexford. Does the simple things well and holds the middle so no team can run through like we did to Laois.
Morris 8 - Can’t remember him doing much but he gets an 8 for the simple fact that Munnelly was scoreless and was forced to go back in to defence to get on the ball. Any of us would have taken that before the game.
Howlin 7 - Broke a lot of ball and made himself a nuisance. More to come from him as well as he still feeling his way back after all the injuries.
Doyle 7 - As with Howlin broke ball and did not let a highly rated Laois midfield get the upper hand. Also took the right option with his early point.
Barry 9 - as usual great workrate, vital scores and some of his passes were Ciaran MacDonald-like.
Bradley 7 - Centre forward is his best position. worked hard and made sure Laois could not build from the back. His tackling was responsible for a number of turnovers.
Flynn 7 - Didn’t score but looked to get on the ball a lot and helped out defence by tracking back. After a disappointing game against Meath it showed character not to hide.
Lyng 7 - won most of the ball that went his way. Could have got a few more scores but he can save them for the final.
Forde 8 - some say he was off form but the fact that he got 12 shots at goal from play shows that he won nearly every ball that came to him. How many players who have been marked by Joe Higgins can say that. When he was needed he kicked the scores.
Banville 9 - always wants to be on the ball, never hides and kicked 3 good points. Has added to his game this year with his willingness to run himself in to the ground.
Roche 7 - got a vital score which showed great confidence. Should have passed to Bradley on another occasion but went on his own.
Walsh 7 - Has impressed any time I’ve seen him. Will be close to starting fifteen.
Stafford and Byrne weren’t on too long but certainly didn’t weaken the team.
The hurlers were good in spells but will need to hurl for 70 mins just to avoid a hammering against Kilkenny. Starting Doyle and Doran made a big difference and indeed the latter could have had 3 goals had team mates not been so greedy. Ray “if he had got his head up there” Houghton would have loved to be commentating on this game.
At least we are still the second team in Leinster. its not much of a claim but it should be the minimum aim each year now. Its probably all we can aim for at the moment.
We’re playing Offaly in the U-21 Hurling Semi-Final in Birr tonight. They’ve a young senior team and have a handful of them playing, whereas we’re a bit inexperienced in comparison with David Redmond and PJ Nolan being our only starters who’ve played senior championship this season. Other lads like Clive Lawler have played senior in the past though and there are others who played U-21 last year so we should be able to give a good account of ourselves.
Wexford U21 Hurling Team:
Michael Walsh (Capt.),
Paddy Whitely, Conor Harrington, Ciarn O’Shaughnessy,
Brendan Hobbs, Clive Lawler, Ben O’Connor,
Mark Molloy, David Redmond,
Garrett Sinnott, Toms Waters, PJ Nolan,
Paul Nolan, Thomas Barron, Keith Burke.