Friday:
“If Wexford can keep us to 15 points they’ll maybe see that as a moral victory…” (Paul Clarke, Dublin’s O’Byrne Cup manager)
Sunday:
Yesss! 1-12 to 0-14 win for our footballers against Dublin in the O'Byrne cup. Very encouraging display for Paul McLoughlin and his team. Loch Garman abú!
— Wexford GAA (@OfficialWexGAA) January 7, 2018
Well, well.
Two games in 2018 and still no wins for Dublin. Granted, it’s basically a third-string side they’re throwing out there but it’s novel and heartening nonetheless to see the O’Byrne Cup champions, the Leinster and the All-Ireland champions being reduced to a draw with Offaly and now a defeat at the hands of Wexford.
In fairness to Paul Clarke, the reason for his calculation of Wexford keeping the defeat to 15 points was because Dublin required a 16-point win to qualify for the semi-final of the competition and, therefore, a 15 point loss for Wexford would’ve stopped the capital.
That was the unenviable task ahead of the Dubs, operating with youth.
“We can only deal with what we have,” Clarke said.
“We’ll put a squad of players on the bus that want to go down and win the game. We always knew we had to win it, now we’re just putting a figure on it, a number on it.
“We’ll go down and give it a shot. Wexford will not make it easy for us, by no means. If they can keep us to 16 points or 15 points they’ll see that as maybe a moral victory.”
The idea was that Wexford just had to stop Dublin winning by that many and they would see it as job done regardless. It wasn’t intended as disrespectful but, when you’re the all-conquering Dublin, anything can be taken out of context and seen as disrespectful.
And, in fairness, it was hardly the wisest choice of words.
As it was, Paul McLoughlin’s charges won by a single point with a late peach of an effort by Barry O’Connor after Craig McCabe had levelled it up with just minutes remaining.
Daithi Waters had burst the net in the first half after a 30-metre run full of pure skill, pace and conviction at the end.
Wexford got a six-point half time lead and, despite relinquishing it in the second period, they had the stones to ante up again and win it back.
Time to split Wexford in two.
Captain Daithí leads the warm down after a good day's work in Enniscorthy. pic.twitter.com/YBSEXC0n5A
— Wexford GAA (@OfficialWexGAA) January 7, 2018
