Gaelic Games

Wexford seal place in 2025 top flight with strong second-half display to see off Waterford

Defeat consigns Davy Fitzgerald’s side to Division 1B next season as Waterford sit adrift of a top-four finish due to head-to-head record

Calum Lyons of Waterford competes in the air for the ball against Wexford. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho
Calum Lyons of Waterford competes in the air for the ball against Wexford. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Sun Mar 10 2024 - 17:45
Wexford 2-23 Waterford 1-23

Keith Rossiter was talking about Division One league semi-finals afterwards while Davy Fitzgerald was leaning on that old crutch about the championship being all that really matters. Both moving on, but in different directions.

Wexford’s year is building nicely, but Waterford are already scrambling for something to pin their season on. It won’t be the league, that’s for sure.

They led this Division 1A encounter in Walsh Park by three points at half-time, but Fitzgerald’s side were outplayed and outfought in the second half by his former charges.

It’s a result that secures top-flight hurling for Wexford in 2025′s new league structure while also consigning Waterford to Division 1B next term – essentially Division Two. Cork are the only team they could match on points in the top four of the division but the head-to-head record cuts the Deise adrift.

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“Are we going to ship a lot of flak in Waterford? We are. Are they going to be giving out? They are, and rightly so, can’t say anything about that,” said Fitzgerald.

“But we’ll fight away and I think it is important to realise that we have to get game-time into the lads.

“There were a few lads and I knew they were tiring but they had to be left there because if I have to get them right for six weeks I have to leave them there.

“Next Sunday we’ll see how we get on, but the main time here is six weeks and two weeks then after that, that’s probably what our year is going to be judged on, being honest about it.

“If we happen to lose two or three games in the championship, will anyone talk about the league? No. If we happen to win two or three games, will they be talking about the league? No. Whatever bit of stick is coming for the week, we all have to take it and that’s it.”

The picture looked a lot more positive for Waterford during the opening stages of this encounter as they raced 0-5 to no score ahead in front of 3,571 spectators. Jamie Barron was lording matters around the middle third and he finished the first half with 0-3 to his name.

Wexford registered six wides in the opening quarter and the momentum of the contest seemed to be firmly going Waterford’s direction. Séamus Casey eventually opened Wexford’s account in the 11th minute while Conor Hearne’s goal in the 20th injected life to their cause – the midfielder powered through the heart of the Waterford defence and neatly batted the ball down off the ground and beyond Shaun O’Brien.

Still, Waterford responded with three quick-fire points to cancel out Wexford’s comeback within five minutes and they led by six with 60 seconds of normal time remaining. However, a late surge by Wexford reduced the gap to three at the turnaround, 0-16 to 1-10. Waterford should have gone in with a greater interval advantage.

And Wexford bossed matters on the resumption, outscoring Waterford 1-10 to 0-4 in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. The third quarter of games has become a real Achilles heel for Waterford.

“I am trying everything, we came out earlier today, we did a different routine before we got going again,” sighed Fitzgerald at the perplexing nature of his side’s third quarter no-shows.

A Kevin Foley point in the 48th minute brought Wexford level for the first time since the start of the game and seconds later Matthew O’Hanlon sent over another from distance to edge the visitors ahead for the very first time – and it was a lead they never relinquished.

If things are tough for Fitzgerald right now, his counterpart in Wexford continues to enjoy a hugely encouraging start to his tenure. Rossiter’s Wexford remain unbeaten in the league with three draws and now this victory, which secures them at least the best fourth-place finish in Division One.

“Delighted with that, we knew coming down in the car that there is an awful lot at stake,” said Rossiter.

“You’re looking at it at the very start of the year when I got the job as manager and the first thing that comes out is the change of Division One status of the league. That’s pressure straight away but to do that with one game in hand is brilliant, it means that we have Cork coming to town next weekend and we could be playing for a place in the league semi-final, depending on results.”

Wexford figured Waterford out at the break, they shackled Barron in the second half and were able to drag the home side out of their shape and thus create scoring opportunities.

Séamus Casey and Cian Byrne showed very well up top for Wexford, Richie Lawlor was impressive in the air, Shane and Damien Reck got through an incredible amount of work while Mark Fanning pulled off a quite staggering point-blank save late on.

The pendulum of the game had clearly shifted early in the second half and Waterford were unable to wrestle it back at any stage. Wexford led 2-21 to 0-20 approaching the hour mark before Waterford sub Padraig Fitzgerald capitalised on some sloppy defending to give his side a lifeline with a goal.

However, Waterford never really looked like reeling Wexford in and three late wides didn’t help their cause as they watched their Division One status for 2025 slip away with one game still remaining in this year’s league.

“We’re very disappointed, absolutely very disappointed, but give me a good championship run and a bad league run and I’d probably take it,” said Fitzgerald. “Judge us on the end of the championship and see how we feel.”

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Niall Murphy, Damien Reck (0-1), Conor Foley; Eoin Ryan, Matthew O’Hanlon (0-1), Shane Reck; Simon Donohoe (1-1), Conor Hearne (1-1); Cathal Dunbar, Kevin Foley (0-2), Charlie McGuckin; Richie Lawlor (0-1), Séamus Casey (0-9, six frees), Cian Byrne (0-5).

Subs: Corey Byrne Dunbar (0-2, one free) for Cathal Dunbar (59 mins), James Byrne for McGuckin (65), Mikie Dwyer for Casey (70), Jack Doran for Byrne (72).

Waterford: Shaun O’Brien; PJ Fanning, Mark Fitzgerald, Conor Ryan; Jack Fagan, Billy Nolan (0-1), Darragh Lyons; Paddy Leavey (0-2, two frees), Jamie Barron (0-4); Kieran Bennett, Jack Prendergast (0-3), Calum Lyons (0-3); Shane Bennett (0-6, five frees), Michael Kiely (0-1), Peter Hogan.

Subs: Neil Montgomery (0-1) for Ryan (half-time), Dessie Hutchinson for Kiely (41 mins), Patrick Curran for Hogan (52), Padraig Fitzgerald (1-2, one free) for S Bennett (59), Patrick Fitzgerald for Prendergast (65).

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)

Gordon Manning

Gordon Manning

Gordon Manning is a sports journalist, specialising in Gaelic games, with The Irish Times