By Rory Houston - @RTESundayGame
Wexford manager JJ Doyle has praised the strength-in-depth of camogie in the Model County ahead of two All-Ireland finals for their players on Sunday.
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The Wexford senior team will face Galway at 4pm in Croke Park in a game, while the intermediates play Antrim two hours earlier.
The Model County has enjoyed plenty of success in recent years, lifting the O’Duffy Cup in 2007 and 2010, as well as two league successes on the trot.
Doyle feels having two teams involved on Sunday is a sign of how far the county has come.
Speaking to RTÉ, Doyle said: “The players are pushing each other.
“There is competition for places and nobody can let their standards drop or someone else will come and take their place.
“That is what has it the way it is. It has built up over a number of years. There is youth and there is experience. There is a great mix and they push each other on. Both teams want to win it.
“The intermediates got here last year and were beaten by Offaly while the seniors want to repeat their victory. We know we have to work hard. Galway will be hungry having been beaten last year. It will be a battle on Sunday but it was one we are really looking forward to.”
Wexford saw off Cork in the semi-finals by digging deep in the second-half after a tight opening 30 minutes.
Ursula Jacob once again proved the matchwinner for Doyle’s side but he knows it will take an even stronger performance in the decider.
“It always is a test against Cork. They have been the kingpins of camogie for the last few decades. They know how to win. They didn’t get to the final last year but it probably made them that bit hungrier this year. It was a very, very tough game.
“It was a physical battle but our girls are very tough. They wanted to get to the final and they want to win it again. They don’t want to be seen as the team that wins one All-Ireland and then can’t put it back-to-back. That is very much the motivation. We know we have to up it again for Sunday.”
Galway stand in the way of Wexford’s quest for another O’Duffy Cup, with the Tribeswomen suffering a painful record of five defeats in six finals over the last 18 years.
Last year was particularly difficult after a tremendous comeback almost reigned in Wexford in the closing stages, who only saw out the game by two points.
While Doyle has sympathy for Galway, he is not going to let it compromise his preparations for the game.
He said: “If I wasn’t in the final I’d like to see Galway win it because of what has gone on over the last number of years. But there is no room for sentiment.
“When we get here on Sunday we want to win this game. Noel Finn is a lovely guy and that but he wants to beat me and we want to beat them.”
