Wexford hurlers pin their promotion hopes on victory over Clare

On a pivotal weekend in the National Hurling League, the most significant game could prove to be in Division 1B where Wexford’s promotion hopes hinge on their siege of Ennis.

It is only eight years since a group of Wexford senior hurlers hopped in a car and travelled to Clare to try persuade Davy Fitzgerald to stay on as Model County manager. They returned back down the road with their mission accomplished.

And there is a strong sense Keith Rossiter and his Wexford hurlers must come back down the same road on Sunday evening with at least a draw from their clash against Clare if they are to accomplish their aim of claiming the second promotion spot in the division.

A loss to the Banner in Cusack Park could prove to be a fatal blow to Wexford’s promotion hopes, creating a scenario where the battle for second place between them and Dublin would almost certainly be determined by scoring difference.

In that context, Chris Crummey’s 75th-minute equaliser in last month’s Croke Park meeting between the counties would be the pivotal score in the promotion race.

Wexford were within seconds of bagging all two points that night and securing a result that would have all but guaranteed their promotion, only for 13-man Dublin to snatch a share of the spoils at the death.

It was a tempestuous game with both managers squaring up on the sideline. After the final whistle players had to be pulled apart as they made their way off the pitch.

Because of that result, Wexford now face a must-not-lose clash against table-toppers Clare, who have already booked promotion. Wexford’s scoring difference of plus 13 is 15 points inferior to Dublin’s tally of plus 28.

Wexford currently occupy second place in the table with seven points, while Dublin are third on five points.

Both sides have two games remaining – Wexford away to Clare and at home to Kildare, and Dublin at home to Down and away to Carlow.

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“When you look at the table, it’s quite simple really in terms of what Wexford need if they are to get promoted – they have to get either a win or a draw in Ennis,” says former Wexford senior hurling manager Séamus Murphy.

With the head-to-head metric not applicable in this instance, because the sides played out a draw, the next criteria used would be scoring difference. And with Wexford already 15 points adrift of Dublin in that scenario right now, a defeat to Clare coupled by a Dublin win over Down would leave the Model County chasing down a cricket score in the final round of fixtures.

But a result in Ennis – a draw or a victory – would require them to pick up a win of any margin over Kildare in their final game to take second place.

Wexford were relegated from Division 1A last season, along with Clare, and while Murphy says an immediate return will be the prime aim of the group, he does not believe failure to achieve that target would throw the team’s season off course.

“I was going through the squad of players,” says the Rathnure man, who managed Wexford to Leinster under-21 titles in 2001 and 2002.

“I make it they are down 10 players from last year for a variety of reasons – retirements, players travelling and so on. Then if you go back to 2023-2024, there are another five players gone.

“So you are talking about 15 players in just a few years, that is a huge challenge for any management team.”

Murphy managed the Wexford seniors in 2005-06, keeping them up in the top flight of the league in his last season with a playoff victory over Laois.

“If you go up to Division 1A, again are you heading back up to Hell’s Kitchen? You see how tough Offaly have found it this year,” he adds.

“In saying that, I know every single player in that dressingroom will be going to Clare at the weekend desperately wanting to win, as will every single Wexford supporter. The aim will be to get promoted but I don’t think it would be as big a setback as some might say if we don’t go straight back up.”

Jack O’Connor will captain the Wexford hurlers this year with Damien Reck named as vice-captain. O’Connor, who helped St Martin’s win a Leinster club title last December, is currently recovering from knee surgery but is expected to be available for the start of the championship.

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Lee Chin has either acted as captain or vice-captain of Wexford for the last decade, so this is something of a new departure for the county.

Wexford had a bye round last weekend, and in advance of Dublin’s trip to Antrim last Sunday both sides were tied on a scoring difference of 13. But Dublin’s 15-point thumping of the Saffrons in Corrigan Park felt like a statement victory – heaping the pressure on Wexford before their trip to Ennis.

“Wexford’s narrow winning margins over Antrim and Down, games which we were lucky to win, have left us needing to get a result in Clare,” says Murphy.

“Because I don’t see Wexford overturning the scoring difference should we end level on points with Dublin.”

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