Well-coached and united Wexford good test for angry Dublin

Chadwicks Wexford Park, 4 July 2021, Wexford from Allianz League Division 4, took on the six-in-a-row All-Ireland champions Dublin in the Leinster Championship.

After 25 minutes the game was still level.

Dublin were up by 0-06 to 0-03 at half-time and they won by 0-15 to 0-07. It wasn’t all plain sailing for Dublin, no goals scored and the narrowest winning margin in Leinster Championship for them since 2013.

They are due to do it all over again this Saturday. Dublin will be looking to improve their season after a poor league that saw them relegated to Division 2. Wexford will be looking to build on an excellent team performance and victory against Offaly last Saturday.

Where are they now

With injury issues, Dublin were forced to give game time to less experienced players during the league. Players like Lee Gannon, Sean McMahon, Tom Lahiff, Lorcan O’Dell and Cian Murphy had to play a greater role.

A taste of more game-time will have given them more belief to push for Championship places. A v B games in training must have been spicy and heated over the five weeks since relegation last month.

Key players like James McCarthy, Eoin Murchan, Con O’Callaghan, Jonny Cooper were badly missed at the start of the league, in particular. They are all likely to be available for selection this weekend. These experienced players would have been the main drivers in training sessions since the Monaghan loss.

Dublin are sure to have a very similar team selection to last year’s game in Wexford Park. Their trusted systems of play from years of success are highly unlikely to have been changed by Dessie Farrell, merely oiled and polished.

Wexford, however, have been hit by the loss of key players. Team leaders Daithí Waters and Brian Malone have