CONOR McDONALD starts his first game of 2016 for the Wexford senior hurlers on Sunday when they face Kerry at Tralee (12.45p.m.) in their bid to get their Division 1B National Hurling League push off the ground.
In actual fact, avoiding relegation bother is sadly Wexford’s priority following reversals against both Limerick (2-23 to 0-15) and Clare (0-18 to 1-11), and they will be conscious of the solid challenge which former Limerick star Ciarán Carey has been formulating with Kerry. Indeed, the Kingdom have marked their promotion by surprising Laois in Portlaoise in round-one (1-24 to 2-14) before coming up just short in a second-half comeback against Limerick (1-19 to 1-15).
Wexford were boosted by the earlier-than-expected return to action of Conor ‘Mac’ in the loss to Clare, with the Naomh Éanna player being introduced 57-minutes-and-12-seconds into that clash after injury problems. It was the second National League in-a-row when ‘Mac’ has been forced out of the first-team for the first two games owing to injury. But his obvious availability once again is very welcome.
His emergence from the treatment-room hasn’t eased the pressure on Wexford’s casualty-ward, which saw the admission of Shaun Murphy after the influential defender was forced off some five minutes shy of half-time in the Clare match with a shoulder injury. James Breen also had to depart some five minutes into the second-half of that game after suffering from dizziness.
Shane Tomkins was forced out of that second-round tie with a hamstring problem, and that is the same issue for Paul Morris and Ian Byrne, although Byrne made his return as a sub against Clare. Tomkins is named at centre-forward against Kerry, with Byrne among the subs.
Joe and Jack O’Connor of St. Martin’s have been hindered by knee and foot injuries respectively, and Cathal Dunbar, a promising corner-forward, is overcoming a shoulder injury. A positive indicator for Jack O’Connor is that he was on duty for University College Dublin last week, and he makes the subs.
“We are always carrying injuries – and it’s not an excuse; it’s a reality,” selector Tom Foley said after the second-round tie.
“Conor McDonald got a bit of game-time, which is a positive, and it is good for Wexford and himself.”
Tom is enthused about how some players are beginning to seize the chance to make spots their own.
“A lot of lads stepped up to the mark,” he said of the determined effort against Clare. “Pádraig Foley at centre-back gave an awesome performance in such a pivotal position and done well.
“David Dunne, for me, has grown game-on-game since he came into the set-up this year, and the day will come for David to lead the attack. He had a big challenge coming from Junior hurling. But several top players have come from Junior and responded brilliantly,” he notes, with former Tipperary attacking colossus John Leahy being a prime example.
Wexford SH v Kerry – Mark Fanning, Liam Ryan, Matthew O’Hanlon (capt.), Eoin Moore, Andrew Shore, Pádraig Foley, Andrew Kenny, Lee Chin, Eoin Conroy, Harry Kehoe, Shane Tomkins, Aidan Nolan, Conor McDonald, Pádraig Doran, Liam Óg McGovern.
Subs: Conor O’Leary, Jack O’Connor, Aaron Maddock, Ian Byrne, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Conor Devitt, Cathal Dunbar.