Nicky Lambert was serving pints in his father's pub, Simons Place, on Wexford town's main street when on summer holidays from St Peter's College in 1996. Business was brisk, only allowing the young assistant fleeting glances at the television as his heros, Larry Murphy, Liam Dunne and Larry O'Gorman were steering Wexford to All-Ireland success over Limerick.

"The pub was packed with people who couldn't get tickets for the match. I did well to get the odd glimpse at the television but for me to get the chance of playing alongside these guys a few years later in an All-Ireland semi-final is hard to describe."

Lambert is not prepared, however, to downgrade the honour bestowed on him this year to captain the Wexford under-21 team that walloped Kilkenny in the Leinster final.

The Faythe Harriers club man will be playing for a third time in Croke Park on Sunday when he figures as a key player in the Wexford attack. He played at headquarters in the 1998 All-Ireland minor semi-final against Cork, was on the bench for the Leinster final versus Kilkenny and started against Limerick in the quarter-final.

His defining memory of that minor semi-final was during the last few seconds of play when he moved in from midfield to full forward. Wexford, down two points, were awarded a 65 at the death. "I caught the ball close in but my shot for goal was blocked down, cleared off the line and then the final whistle sounded."

Lambert, more accustomed to playing in midfield or as a defender, is listed to operate on the half-forward line but is prepared to swap places with Larry Murphy after the throw-in.

"It's the aim of management to get forwards accustomed to playing in different positions. Larry (Murphy) and myself are able to play between centre forward and full forward. We are geared to be able to swap and change and it's the same with the other forwards."

It could be said that Lambert is the most versatile player in the game, a man for all positions. "I play full back or centre back for my club, midfield for the under-21s and at centre half forward or full forward for the senior team."

He admits "scoring wouldn't be my thing. I'm the kind of player who makes space for other guys and knock the ball down to them. I feel more comfortable out in the middle of the field where I can get more space on the ball.

"I was listed in the press for midfield for the Limerick match and I knew I would be playing full forward. I went down to Paddy Powers and saw I was being quoted at 40 to 1 for scoring the first goal.

"Ground hurling is coming a lot into our game, when you see a guy driving the ball off the ground 50 or 60 yards that really gets you going and tends to raise spirits," Lambert says.

One aspect of Wexford's play against Limerick that each and every member of the team will be trying to eradicate on Sunday is in the area of frees. "Indiscipline cost us against Limerick. We gave away three times as many frees. Our aim is not to concede as many this time. If we can cut down on frees I feel it will be very hard to beat us," says Lambert.

He concurs with the view that Wexford are at their best when running at opposing defences rather than using the long, speculative ball from outside. Limerick's defence, he agrees, were particularly strong under the high ball.

"When Tipperary ran at them they didn't know what to do. We have fast running forwards like Larry (Murphy) and Darren Stamp. They are well able to take lads on and make space for themselves. For any defence pitted against a fast half-forward line, it's very hard to stop them apart from fouling," he suggests.

Wexford's strengths as Lambert sees them are; "Darragh Ryan is class at full back, Rory Mallon, no matter who he is marking, is quite spectacular, Liam Dunne is so sound at centre back, Ollie Moran had a few chances against him but he hit a lot of wides, Larry Murphy is an inspiration. His markers have to foul him, his runs with the ball are brilliant and he's a great team player, often laying the ball off for others."

Lambert has high regard for Tipperary full back Phil Maher, his immediate opponent for Sunday's game.

"I never played against Tipp, apart from in minor but I have watched Phil play and he is very strong and alert."

As is likely to be the case at the other end of the pitch in the clash between Darragh Ryan and Declan Ryan, the Lambert-Maher encounter should prove crucial.