“IT IS a flat dressing-room in there,” sighed Wexford captain Matthew O’Hanlon as he struggled to come to terms with their best laid plans having gone awry on Sunday.

“Everyone of us were in top shape, so we have no excuses,” he emphasised.

“We had real a belief that we were coming up here to do a job. But, for one reason or another, it didn’t work out for us.”

With reference to their comfortable quarter-final win over Westmeath, Matthew noted: “In the intensity of a game like this we just didn’t have the extra second that we may have had against the likes of the ‘lower’ teams to pick out a pass or whatever.

“But the pace Kilkenny play the game at is exactly the pitch that we need to get to. We didn’t reach that pitch today, and as a result, mistakes happened.”

Matthew is extremely resolute as he refuses to listen to the prophets of doom and gloom who are sure to rear their heads following Sunday’s chastening experience.

In fact, this man is absolutely adamant that Wexford can regroup to re-fire their championship hopes through the Qualifiers.

“People can say what they want, but you can be sure that everyone in our camp feels this defeat deeply,” the St. James’ star points out. “We will analyse this game and take what we can from the experience as bad as it was.

“But we are determined to move on because the Qualifiers represent a serious opportunity for us. This year is far from over for us, and the under-21 hurlers are out on Wednesday night (Leinster semi-final away to Offaly) and hopefully they will do well to help us all get back on the horse.”