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Wexford Football 2025

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Better performance by the u20s tonight, were right in it right up until the end.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18941 - 25/03/2026 21:05:26    2663200

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Replying To Viking66:  "Not sure about last year at u16, or how relevant that is either. But going on this years results Wicklow beat Carlow by 12, who beat Limerick by 12. We lost a close game to Limerick.
Agree 100% there needs to be a way more positive approach from our team. Let the lads play more Football."
We were equal or better to all those teams last year with a full 15 up to the age.
7 months later we get well beaten with a completely different way younger team.
I think there might be a bit of relevance in that.
And to add the cherry on top we forgot there was new rules brought in which rewards attaching play.

Paull (Wexford) - Posts: 255 - 25/03/2026 21:09:23    2663204

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Minors were not good last night. Don't know what type of game they were even attempting to try play. Tough on young lads when management set them up like that.

Brave effort by u20s. Some good performances. Giving the ball away easily was our undoing. Plenty to work on with some good talent.

Yellowhelmet (Australia) - Posts: 168 - 25/03/2026 21:38:13    2663208

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "And to make it even worse, two of those points for the Minors were from frees. Only one point scored from play in the entire match.

And while I don't want to be pessimistic in what's a great week for Wexford football overall, I'd be fearful of what might happen the U20s against Dublin tonight too. But have to be realistic about it, all the same."
Well, seldom if ever was I ever happier to say I was wrong about something. As already said by somebody else, brave performance by the U20s tonight, and unlucky not to get something out of the game.

Unfortunately would have to agree they gave the ball too easily a few times, and a couple of those turnovers led directly to Dublin scores. But overall, you'd have to be happy with how they did, and I genuinely wouldn't fear meeting Dublin again if our lads did happen to progress in the championship.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3445 - 25/03/2026 22:59:11    2663233

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Replying To Viking66:  "We will have Dublin, Tyrone, Monaghan, Louth, Cavan, Down and Derry in the League next year!"
Next year the Footballers and Hurlers will be effectively in the same division. When you look at the football you realise how much higher the standard is in D2 relative to the overall standards. The other thing is that when you look at the games and the teams that we are up against in football and hurling, what are the more attractive ties. Looking back its crazy to think its only just over 17yrs since we almost made an All Ireland final - Mattie getting injured - who knows but it was a great Tyrone team and I am not sure the result would have been different, perhaps closer. It shows however that we really let ourselves down by living in D4 for too long, hopefully promotion will bring back belief to the game in the county as the GAA struggles in a lot of areas in the county and its Football that we can use to make inroads into those areas.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2188 - 26/03/2026 00:58:45    2663247

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Well, seldom if ever was I ever happier to say I was wrong about something. As already said by somebody else, brave performance by the U20s tonight, and unlucky not to get something out of the game.

Unfortunately would have to agree they gave the ball too easily a few times, and a couple of those turnovers led directly to Dublin scores. But overall, you'd have to be happy with how they did, and I genuinely wouldn't fear meeting Dublin again if our lads did happen to progress in the championship."
All the more impressive when you consider the good lads who are currently injured.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18941 - 26/03/2026 07:42:16    2663255

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Irrespective as to how the game on Saturday pans out there are many positives to be taken from last Sundays game and our league performances in general.
1 our backs have a solid look to them.Not like in the past when we were sieve like and attackers exploited our weakness in that regard.
2 Two pointers are a big feature of our game and we are by all accounts the leading county out of 32 for scoring them.
3 We are fast and furious going forward. Players always striving to make the right decisions.
4 we are strong and physically built.
Well capable of holding our own in the tough exchanges.
5 Hughes and Coleman are responsible for mounting attacks from deep and they have huge engines.
6 Hegerty and his selectors have worked wonders with this team and the lads have bought in to the system he has in place.
7 To have won 5 out of seven games and really it should have been 6 if that silly mistake hadn't occurred against Limerick at the end is commendable and proves consistency.
8 winning brings more support and hopefully that will grow if we can do well in Leinster/ Tailteen cup and of course playing quality opposition in division 2 next year.
9 Lot's to look forward to going forward and I feel confident that this team will give us many more days like last Sunday. ( but please don't leave it so late)

Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 656 - 26/03/2026 09:13:50    2663265

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Replying To Magpie2:  "Irrespective as to how the game on Saturday pans out there are many positives to be taken from last Sundays game and our league performances in general.
1 our backs have a solid look to them.Not like in the past when we were sieve like and attackers exploited our weakness in that regard.
2 Two pointers are a big feature of our game and we are by all accounts the leading county out of 32 for scoring them.
3 We are fast and furious going forward. Players always striving to make the right decisions.
4 we are strong and physically built.
Well capable of holding our own in the tough exchanges.
5 Hughes and Coleman are responsible for mounting attacks from deep and they have huge engines.
6 Hegerty and his selectors have worked wonders with this team and the lads have bought in to the system he has in place.
7 To have won 5 out of seven games and really it should have been 6 if that silly mistake hadn't occurred against Limerick at the end is commendable and proves consistency.
8 winning brings more support and hopefully that will grow if we can do well in Leinster/ Tailteen cup and of course playing quality opposition in division 2 next year.
9 Lot's to look forward to going forward and I feel confident that this team will give us many more days like last Sunday. ( but please don't leave it so late)"
Our best asset during league was 2 pointers. Teams will set up to ensure we don't get those opportunities.
If u noticed on sunday . Westmeath set up to keep us just outside that zone and in fairness to them they were very disciplined to not give the 2 pt free opportunities to brooks either . We struggled a bit at times because of this. Thst was until the last 10 minutes . The goal after they scored their goal was crucial just left us with a sniff of recovery which we duly took they looked more vulnerable thereafter . Tired legs and inexperience from westmeath meant they lost that discipline and gave up 3 x 2 pt chances. Of which we got 2
Better more experienced teams wont make those mistakes . At times we looked vulnerable too and got lucky on a couple of occasions. But a win like that will give out lads some boost in confidence. After watching goal about 50 times now . Up there with some of the great memories in the bank .
I m sure management know this and will tweak our play for this scenario . Trying stop 2pters will hopefully mean more space and goal opportunities inside . .
Best of luck Saturday to them all .
Nothing to lose on Saturday but we dont want an anti climax either to set them.back .

Formertownie (Wexford) - Posts: 561 - 26/03/2026 12:01:56    2663298

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Replying To Formertownie:  "Our best asset during league was 2 pointers. Teams will set up to ensure we don't get those opportunities.
If u noticed on sunday . Westmeath set up to keep us just outside that zone and in fairness to them they were very disciplined to not give the 2 pt free opportunities to brooks either . We struggled a bit at times because of this. Thst was until the last 10 minutes . The goal after they scored their goal was crucial just left us with a sniff of recovery which we duly took they looked more vulnerable thereafter . Tired legs and inexperience from westmeath meant they lost that discipline and gave up 3 x 2 pt chances. Of which we got 2
Better more experienced teams wont make those mistakes . At times we looked vulnerable too and got lucky on a couple of occasions. But a win like that will give out lads some boost in confidence. After watching goal about 50 times now . Up there with some of the great memories in the bank .
I m sure management know this and will tweak our play for this scenario . Trying stop 2pters will hopefully mean more space and goal opportunities inside . .
Best of luck Saturday to them all .
Nothing to lose on Saturday but we dont want an anti climax either to set them.back ."
We have been doing several different things to create that space all year, since the CTOTY game in Castletown. Most either lead to goal or 2 point chances. Some are very hard to defend against with the new rules.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18941 - 26/03/2026 12:58:57    2663315

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Finn Azaz and Alan Browne are no Mini Ryan's

Formertownie (Wexford) - Posts: 561 - 27/03/2026 13:40:47    2663479

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Replying To Formertownie:  "Finn Azaz and Alan Browne are no Mini Ryan's"
Had to Google them see who you were talking about. Only watched the 1st half last night. Poor quality soccer from both sides tbh.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18941 - 27/03/2026 14:07:55    2663483

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Replying To Viking66:  "Had to Google them see who you were talking about. Only watched the 1st half last night. Poor quality soccer from both sides tbh."
Bit different scenarios tbf. 'Mini' had an open goal from 5 or 6 yards. It was as close to unmissable as you can get.

richiepmurphy (Kilkenny) - Posts: 60 - 27/03/2026 17:17:41    2663523

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11/2 with paddy power i see, surprised at that, , no pressure on us, its all on them they are desperate for a win and to be in "sam" next year, not so much us so if we can stay with them to last 1/4 u never know,they will start giving away frees when/if the doubts start. lets enjoy the day , 3rd trip to croke pk in a year, we did not see that coming in 2024

Stmunnsriver (Wexford) - Posts: 3063 - 28/03/2026 09:38:31    2663568

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"Masterson was Football Development Administrator for six years and knows the struggle in keeping talented underage players focused on football.

In the last year this has become an even greater task with players in underage development squads forced to pick a code.

"That's disappointing from a football point of view," he says, noting that while there are 120 on the Wexford hurling Under-14 panel, there are just 48 in with the footballers."

Is he taking the numbers from trials rather than the numbers in the actual squads?

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0327/1564820-model-dreams-imagine-kerry-coming-to-wexford-park/

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1008 - 28/03/2026 11:19:00    2663573

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  ""Masterson was Football Development Administrator for six years and knows the struggle in keeping talented underage players focused on football.

In the last year this has become an even greater task with players in underage development squads forced to pick a code.

"That's disappointing from a football point of view," he says, noting that while there are 120 on the Wexford hurling Under-14 panel, there are just 48 in with the footballers."

Is he taking the numbers from trials rather than the numbers in the actual squads?

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0327/1564820-model-dreams-imagine-kerry-coming-to-wexford-park/"
No there was a hurling panel and then also an extended "training" panel for u14 hurling.

Fellas on the training panel for hurlers could also be on the football panel, the issue that the football coaches took was mainly timing in that training for the extended hurling panel happened on the same weekend as trials for the football.

Like I said, its all messy, its causing division when there's no need, I was asking one football fella about it and he said he had no issues with there being an extended training panel for hurling, thought it was a great idea but was annoyed by the timing. He said when this was pursued in a meeting with county board officials he was told that "sure there's no issues with lads trialling football and training hurling less than 24 hrs later and really fhe main purpose was to use it to train the trainers and upskill coaches" in other words .........

It doesnt and shouldn't be this messy, im not sure but I think the extended hurling panel training is finished for the year now with clubs back in action etc

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1632 - 28/03/2026 11:49:44    2663577

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  ""Masterson was Football Development Administrator for six years and knows the struggle in keeping talented underage players focused on football.

In the last year this has become an even greater task with players in underage development squads forced to pick a code.

"That's disappointing from a football point of view," he says, noting that while there are 120 on the Wexford hurling Under-14 panel, there are just 48 in with the footballers."

Is he taking the numbers from trials rather than the numbers in the actual squads?

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0327/1564820-model-dreams-imagine-kerry-coming-to-wexford-park/"
Paper never refuses ink. And its disappointing as he knows the truth.
There are roughly 40 ish on each panel picked early February. Then this year the hurling mentors have decided to expand some regional training for another 70 or so boys. They meet up every few weeks. But the usual suspects are pushing this idea that the hurlers have 1st call on 120 boys which is not even close to the truth. And then on top keep pushing the idea that these boys are not allowed play football. Nearly all those 120 played a full weekend of football last weekend with their clubs in the Keevans Cup and will play or train at least 50 times with their clubs or schools this year.
IMO they should not be allowed peddle these untruths without being questioned but its probably better not to engage at all as the saying goes if you are explaining you are losing.

Paull (Wexford) - Posts: 255 - 28/03/2026 12:25:18    2663582

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My understanding is that while the U14 hurling & football sessions were on the same weekends all right, they were on different days. And that's crucial. I'm inclined to agree that if a lad of that age is serious enough about both codes, they're well able to train two days in a row.

Otherwise, what are certain lads supposed to do every second weekend?

The ones who want to play hurling and hurling only are supposed to take every second weekend off, because there's a football session on one of the days that weekend?

And likewise, there couldn't be any football session at all every other weekend, because there's a hurling session on one of those days instead?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3445 - 28/03/2026 13:16:11    2663586

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Not good for the nerves probably be disappointed its in extra time,as left possible 1.3 1.4 behind early in that 2nd half but cant be faulted for effort be great to see them get over the line here

Ryanworld (Wexford) - Posts: 51 - 28/03/2026 21:19:06    2663652

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Brave effort indeed. We were excellent in 2nd half and left a few scores behind. A real pity we could not close it out. The ref gave us nothing.
When we were on top in midfield we were flying but lost that battle in extra time.

Can't fault any of them tho. Played their hearts out.

Yellowhelmet (Australia) - Posts: 168 - 28/03/2026 22:12:18    2663662

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