Wexford 0:9 Leitrim 1:6 with Leitrim with wind in second half. Sloppy game with home town decisions being giving by Cork man Kevin Murphy. Donal Shanley the pick of the Wexford team with the young Fintans man scoring three frees from distance off the ground into the town end. (Open to correction on amount)
More Leitrim crowd here than Wexford.
Waters came on and won the game. More later
Big Dave Powerâs purple and gold army. 
Looking forward to reading match reports later.
An odd game. Leitrim deserved something out of it in fairness to them. They kicked about 4 or 5 wides in the last few minutes when it was level at 1-10 to 13. But credit to our lads, they dug deep and got a win on the board.
The first half was poor. We had a strong wind but rarely took advantage of it by either hitting it in quick or by shooting from distance. A lot of players had chances to hit it off for a pass or point but more often than not took more time out of it and held it up before losing it. Our work rate and effort was really poor. There was rarely a broken ball off a kick out won. They were cleaning up at midfield, but it wasnât really down to our midfielders poor play, but support players around them. Powers inability to make one unbelievably glaring necessity to substitute may mean his relationship stays in tact, but it could have cost him a win. Culpable for at least 1-2 in the first half. The goal was really sloppy. Masterson, for a change, hit Butler perfectly from a kick out and he in a load of space. But he fumbled the ball and Malone nearly rescued him before he coughed up the ball again. He then just gave up on the play and his man set up a goal chance that rats saved, but it fell straight to one of their lads who tapped it in.
So we went in level at half time, looking like a beaten team.
But Waters came on for Hughes and straight from the throw in the difference he brought showed. He chased down 2 players and turned the ball over before setting Brosnan up to score. He dominated midfield and won a load of ball and more importantly, used it well. The work rate thru out was massively changed and it gave us a chance. They picked off a few nice points, but we hung in and kept plugging away. Mulligan was still controlling matters for them, our tactic of standing off and letting him play was not a clever one. If he had anyone else of any quality around him or in the full forward line, theyâd have won handy.
They defended fairly dumb in the second half too, letting us get a run at them from deep and weight of numbers meant they fouled when we got in behind. PJ came on too and did alright.
The defining moment came just at full time. A shot dropped short and their keeper got possession around the edge of the small square. Quite bizarrely, he folded his arms over the ball and charged at the 3 Wexford forwards who stood off for fear of the usual easy free on a keeper. But this lad kept going and the ref gave a free in after he barged his way out to the 14. Shanley tapped it over and Waters won the kick out and we kept possession for the remaining 3 minutes of injury time.
A good win, but I must say I was expecting more. Maybe it was the heavy ground, windy day, yet surface, first game out or whatever, so Iâll reserve judgement just yet.
Actually forgot one of the more interesting things today too. Wexford should have had a free over at the dug out side and as the ball went over the line, Matty Forde kicked it about 5m away in anger. Their number 22 punched him in the chin/neck area so Forde caught him and fucked him to the ground. So everyone milled in then. The linesman advised the ref to send Matty to the stand. Forde was talking to Mulligan, as the ref discussed with the linesman, obviously telling him what actually happened and why he threw the leitrim chap to the ground. Forde took no shit off players hitting him when he played, so still not now!
Outside of Mulligan anyone else impress for us?
Just on the hurling last night. Early season rustiness is one thing but our lack of smartness all around the pitch is grim.
Getting hooked, blocked, dispossessed, choosing the wrong option, not taking the shot on, taking the shot on, giving a silly pass, type of delivery (ballooned high in the air a lot), type of finish (chest high at keeper for around 3 goal chances), naively selling ourselves then standing off too much, allowing opponents to run off us, poor striking, bad shooting from play and frees. We ticked all the boxes.
We looked like a fairly dumb team and closer to the group behind us in Leinster (Offaly et al) than the ones we have ambition of catching up with. Nothing to get excited about and the fringe players didnât really impress. If it serves as a wake up call and we get a boost from the returning college playersâŚbut Iâd say weâre more likely to lose to Limerick and Clare by 7 or 8 points.
A bizarre element to the evening was our Official Twitter and Facebook account taking issue with Wexford leaving the field before Dublin were awarded the prestigious Walsh Cup. All our players shook hands with their Dublin counterparts and there was plenty of chatting on the field, Dunne and the management team did likewise with Dublin players and management, there was a bit of standing around and it was fucking freezing so we toddled off before Dublinâs players gingerly strolled over and accepted the cup. It seemed that our own county board was accusing the squad of poor sportsmanship which, as I say, was a ridiculous tangent to go off on.
God that was poor stuff. We were awfully laboured in the first half, especially in front of the posts, a lot of lateral hand-passes instead of lads taking on shots and using the gale force wind. Leitrim dominated midfield and Mulligan got on a pile of ball, using it well. We werenât nearly tight enough on him. Daithi coming on at half time changed everything though, he was immense, turned the whole game around. He physically dominated his man and I thought his distribution was really good. Shannley had a good game too, always out in front and showing for the ball. Surprised Tiernan Rossiter didnât start, there were few others on the team ahead of him that clearly arenât up to it. Still a win is a win. We couldnât afford to lose that one if we want to get promoted, roll on AntrimâŚ
I thought the No. 9 for Leitrim had a really good first half, won the ball well and ran hard at our defence causing loads of problems. However, he went out of it in the second half and ended up being substituted. Mulligan was quite in the second half too though. Whose your full back, heâs a big manâŚ
Woodsie
Yeah - heâs a big lad. Corner back last year - only young.
Darren Sweeney was 9. Typical him really - can blow hot and cold.
Yeah would agree with padjo, the no 9 but Waters came on then and made shit of him for second half. The number 10 too got on a lot of ball, but our lad marking him was poor. Wouldnât really pick out anyone else. The no 21 who came on seemed better than some of the starting forwards
Wexford teams have no idea how to play the game. Weâre stuck in 1994.
Playing young players straight out of minor is not fair on them, and they must be given time to develop at U21 level and the 3 younger players never stopped trying but they are only at the start of their development and struggled physically against the stronger Dubs.
We had no subs bench as many on it had played a development game that morning V Westmeath with the college players who had played fitz on thursday night struggling in a heavy defeat to the lakesiders.
Looks like the college lads are being horsed for daring to play with their colleges.
The departure from the pitch before the presentation was in very poor taste and words seemed to be exchanged between Dunne and his coach Willie Cleary about it when the manager lead his team off .
This is the fifth year of the Dunne era and apart from 2014 we have nothing to show .
Wexford clubs failed to nominate him or second him at the ratification meeting in October .
Among the players morale and confidence are low, an open secret
Our year will be decided over the next three weeks with our first two games V Limerick and Clare.
This talk about them leaving the pitch is some shite. If the game was played in anywhere other than Croke Park theyâd barely notice if the presentation even took place. Its the Walsh Cup in January FFS. People love looking for a story in nothing.
Totally agree as my post about it on Sunday signified. Youâd have to be some simpleton to be affronted by that. Unfortunately the person / people in charge of Wexford GAA Twitter account seem to be gobshites.
Indeed. Iâd say it was fucking freezing (nearly) there on Saturday evening so standing around waiting for a Mickey Mouse to be presented was a bit daft.
Billy Byrne in the back room team for the minor hurlers this year. Along with Tom Mullally and Jj Doyle. I heard a Coleman as well but it wasnât Roy I donât think. Billy announced it at half time of the Oulart game.
Iâm presuming Tom Mullally is the manager, Jj Doyle as coach and Billy Byrne there to put an arm around a fella.
Is Eamonn Scallan not the minor manager?