The Leinster Senior Hurling Championship: Wexford 1-28, Galway 0-23
Wexford’s Yellowbellies showed remarkable strength in their latest encounter, keeping their summer dreams alive with a spectacular win, not letting the May Bank Holiday dampen their spirits. Tasked with a must-win game to salvage their winless run, Wexford’s triumphant victory by eight points didn’t come as a surprise, as Galway’s counterattack ultimately succumbed to their fierce determination on home soil.
Had they faced defeat, Wexford’s prospects for the upcoming two rounds would have been bleak. However, they guaranteed a solid win, delighting the attending crowd of 6,170 basking in the late afternoon sunlight.
The decisive goal appeared on the clock’s 40th minute, stemming from an electrifying sprint by Richie Lawlor, who passed to Rory O’Connor. He struck the sliotar into the net from afar, giving Wexford a lead of 1-15 to 0-14, a lead they held onto firmly.
Despite a sizeable challenge when Cian Byrne was given a red card, leaving them a player short 10 minutes later, this did not deter the Yellowbellies. Galway’s Henry Shefflin was booked shortly thereafter as his frustrations were visibly showing.
Seeking to seal the win in the final 10 minutes, with a 1-22 to 0-18 lead, O’Connor marked his sixth personal score, with the phenomenal Lee Chin leading the front, concluding with a personal score of 0-11.
Starting their match as underdogs due to recent mishaps – a draw against Dublin fuelled by late scores, and a loss to Antrim, Wexford nevertheless showed ferocity, setting the pace and intensity of the game. They widened the gap by four points after the second quarter had begun without any response from Galway.
Chin, known for his presence in the full forward, again played a crucial role within Wexford’s attacking force, contributing 0-7 in the first half, of which three were expertly taken from play in his 51st championship match.
During the initial 10 minute level, Conor McDonald, Damien Reck, Conor Hearne, and Chin displayed escalating teamwork. Galway, however, struggled to get their footing in the game. Wexford secured a lead of 0-9 to 0-5 after 21 minutes and was very much on merit.
Galway, following their draw with Kilkenny last weekend and a smooth victory over Carlow in the first round, managed a brief surge, scoring four unresponded points steered by Conor Whelan and Ronan Glennan, with Evan Niland flawlessly handling the placed ball.
The scores flew thick and fast from both teams before half-time, with Niland adding two additional free scores interspersed between Byrne and McDonald. Wexford’s lead of two points, 0-15 to 0-13, had room for improvement.
Galway’s Cathal Mannion sat the game out after injuring his hamstring during training earlier in the week. In the meantime, Wexford welcomed the likes of Eoin Ryan, Liam Ryan, Jack O’Connor, and Richie Lawlor owing to four late switches.
With two rounds remaining, there is still a considerable amount of summer gameplay left.
The Wexford side comprised of M Fanning, S Rock, C Foley, E Ryan, L Ryan, D Reck, M O’Hanlon, C Hearne, R Lawlor, L Óg McGovern, R O’Connor, J O’Connor, C Byrne, L Chin and C McDonald, with C Dunbar and M Dwyer arriving as substitutes.
The Galway team consisted of D Fahy, J Grealish, D Burke, F Burke, G McInerney, P Mannion, C Fahy, R Glennon, G Lee, T Monaghan, E Niland, B Concannon, C Whelan and J Cooney, alongside C Cooney.
Substitutions were made at various times throughout the match. A Tuohey replaced Grealish and D O’Shea took Glennan’s place, this occurred 47 minutes into the game. J Flynn, who scored 0-1, substituted McInerney at the 65-minute mark. At 68 minutes, D McLoughlin came on for Concannon. The referee was none other than Dublin’s Seán Stack.