All-Ireland SHC Quarter-final/Wexford 3-10 Tipperary 1-14:Say what you like but Wexford are two games away from a first All-Ireland title in 11 years. That's the reality this morning but their next opponents present the biggest psychological hurdle they have ever encountered.
Another meeting with Kilkenny is just six days away. Fifteen points was the margin of defeat in the Leinster final on July 1st and Saturday's display would keep them on the coat-tails of Brian Cody's thoroughbreds for about 20 minutes.
And yet Wexford manager John Meyler has no hang-ups. Meyler saw the question a mile out: is there a mental block for Wexford players with beating Kilkenny? "No there is not. No. We'll work on that now. We'll get Harrington's (sports psychologist). What's his name? Bob Rotella and we'll work that out." He was joking of course but it might be a good idea.
Tipperary were in control of this laborious excuse for a hurling match until the last 10 minutes. Wexford eventually struck the mortal blow in the final minute of normal time with a controversial goal from their captain, goalkeeper and all-round hero Damien Fitzhenry.
Referee James McGrath, after performing his duties in a notably liberal manner throughout, switched a 21-yard free from wide right to the centre after an incident involving Tipperary defender Eamonn Corcoran.
It was a massive call as Wexford trailed by two points, and suddenly a goal was on. Meyler was quick to intervene from the sideline. Barry Lambert was called off the ball as Fitzhenry galloped the length of the field before blasting past a wall of defenders and then haring back where he came from.
"If I leave the goal to go up the far end of the field I'm not . . . 14 of the lads can put it over the bar so I'm gonna have a shot at it," said the man who earlier had denied Eoin Kelly from point-blank range.
Three minutes of injury-time were signalled but Tipperary had nothing left in the tank.
Kelly, a surprise omission, was introduced after 22 minutes but he was clearly unfit. Ditto Shane McGrath.
Kelly was presented with an 80-yard free in injury-time to force a replay, a distance he had already managed to conquer, but this time it fell short. Keith Rossiter was on hand to clear.
Richie Kehoe gathered the next desperate, high ball. It ended with Eoin Quigley stealing a point before time was called on Tipp's season.
Michael Babs Keating emerged from congratulating the victors and gave his immediate reaction to defeat (with his two-year term complete, be sure, plenty of other people will voice their opinions in the coming days).
"We were probably a tired team after eight hours and - what? - 30 minutes of hurling since the first Limerick game. I think we showed the signs of wear and tear. We tried to manage it as best we could. Fitness was a problem with some of our players.
"You might have criticised us before the game about who we played and what we played. We knew who to play because we were worried about fitness with a number of players and this is why we picked that team.
"The team we picked didn't work and the changes we made didn't work.
"I'm not going to put up with any blame because when you play as long as we have done and the encounters we have had . . . I think we did something for hurling in 2007 but we're not in an All-Ireland semi-final in a week's time and we wish Wexford all the best in that. I haven't any more to add, lads."
But what about the free being moved into the centre? "I dunno. I dunno. I'm just saying it shouldn't have happened and it happened. Discipline is a huge issue with us. We might have fallen down there. These things happen. We're not going to cry over it.
"At the end of the day if we were to come back next Sunday as tired as we were today I think it would have been a disaster for us."
When Wexford spurned four clear goal chances in the first half the multitude of previews predicting their doom seemed justified. They did scrap a fortunate goal after Kehoe's speculative long-range effort was misjudged by the Tipperary defence and dropped directly into the net.
Goalkeeper Gerry Kennedy redeemed himself with a marvellous stop from a Quigley shot and then a textbook catch by Lar Corbett eventually yielded a goal to give Tipperary a three-point lead at the turn.
Wexford came again with a Lambert 1-1 and a brace from substitute David O'Connor. Tipp responded with three scores to pull clear but they couldn't slam the door shut. The punishment was severe.
Meyler summed it all up: "Today we saw the spirit, the pride, the passion and the commitment. All the things that are good about Wexford hurling and the last day you didn't see it. In the Leinster final we were in second gear. We went up to third gear today. We need to go up to fourth next week."
WEXFORD: 1 D Fitzhenry (1-0); 2 M Travers, 3 K Rossiter, 4 P Roche; 5 R Kehoe (1-0), 6 D Ruth, 7 D Lyng; 8 R McCarthy (0-1), 9 D Stamp; 10 E Quigley (0-1), 11 M Jordan, 12 S Nolan (0-2, two 65s); 13 B Lambert (1-2, 65), 14 M Jacob, 15 R Jacob (0-2). Subs: 17 C Kenny for R McCarthy (37 mins), 21 D O'Connor (0-2) for S Nolan (44 mins), 30 PJ Nolan for M Jordan (48 mins), 22 P White for M Jacob (63 mins), 18 W Doran for PJ Nolan (71 mins).
TIPPERARY: 1 G Kennedy; 2 E Buckley, 3 D Fanning, 4 A Byrne; 5 E Corcoran, 6 C O'Mahony, 7 S Maher; 8 H Maloney (0-2), 9 S Butler; 12 D Hickey (0-4), 11 B Dunne (0-2), 10 J Carroll (0-1); 15 W Ryan, 14 D Egan, 13 L Corbett (1-2). Subs: 20 E Kelly (0-3, two frees) for D Egan (26 mins), 23 S McGrath for W Ryan (half-time), 30 D Fitzgerald for A Byrne (42 mins), 17 P Bourke for S Butler (48 mins).
Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath).
YELLOW CARDS: Wexford: D Ruth (22mins). Tipperary: D Hickey (15 mins), B Dunne (61 mins).
Attendance: 42,364.
