"A big day for Wexford football"

June 29, 2015

Wexford manager David Power and selector Mattie Forde celebrate at the final whistle. INPHO

Wexford manager David Power was euphoric after seeing his team take Down's scalp in Saturday's All-Ireland first round qualifier.

"It was a super display from start to finish," the former Tipperary All-Ireland minor winning boss enthused in the Irish Daily Mirror.

"The lads played with great heart and passion, they were simply outstanding. We had been trying to get the players to believe, to believe in their own ability. This was all about confidence and, while we lost to Westmeath in the end (in the Leinster SFC quarter-final), they took so many positives from that game.

"This is a big day for Wexford football, but we will keep our feet on the ground. We won't get carried away."

While the Model County can look forward to a trip to Derry in round two, Down - who were promoted to Division 1 of the Allianz League in the spring - face six months of inactivity.

"We have no excuses for we were beaten in most sectors," their manager Jim McCorry conceded.

"We knew all about the Wexford forwards, Lyng (Ciaran) and Brosnan (Ben), but we did not close them down. We kicked some terrible wides in the second half, but they also could have had a few more scores. In the end, we just failed to meet the challenge."


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