Rising Wexford hurling star Conor McDonald admitted they were guilty of taking Antrim for granted in last year's All-Ireland U-21 HC semi-final.

The Model County suffered a shock 1-16 to 2-15 defeat at the hands of the Saffrons in Thurles 12 months ago.

Speaking to the Irish Independent ahead of this evening's last four clash against Galway, the Naomh Eanna man remarked: "I think everyone was trying not to think of it but a lot of people on the outside would have said, 'Ah sure ye'll be grand and we'll have Clare or Galway in the final'.

"I think it was not so much the players that were saying, 'Ah look we'll get over these now and be back in September',

"It was more that everyone else was kind of drilling it into us and that mentality rubbed off on us. It certainly looked like that anyway and there was a small bit of taking for granted that day too.

"It was a bit of a disaster. We really didn't perform in any way to what we thought we could have. We basically took them for granted and we just didn't turn up on the day. Our heads were in the clouds and we really bit the bullet then."

An All-Ireland U-21 success would cap off a memorable year for McDonald and Wexford hurling.

"It will lift the county if we were to get an U-21 title or make an appearance in the final. It would bring lads forward an awful lot more and if the elder statesmen of the panel saw that it would give them the extra little lift."

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