Wexford retained their place in the Liam McCarthy Cup with an impressive 4-23 to 5-18 win over Kilkenny in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship this afternoon.
Their win, and Westmeath's loss to Antrim, mean that the Lake county have been relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup for the 2024 season.
During Wexford's win, they took an unusually long break at half-time, and their match finished later than Westmeath's.
This meant that Wexford knew exactly what they had to do, result-wise, before the end of their clash.
Speaking on the Sunday Game, Joe Canning implied that Wexford may have done this purposefully, and pointed out that they had done something similar in 2019.
I didn't see it to be honest, them beating Kilkenny. They didn't show anything early on in the year, in any other game.
The joy that you see at the end, the kids coming on, I think it was packed at half-time with all the kids, maybe that's why they were so late getting out at half-time.
But it happened back in '19 as well. Their game finished a little bit later than our game against Dublin in '19, and they drew the match in the end and kicked us out of the championship.
Joe Canning Reminds Us That Wexford Have History Of Finishing Games Late
— Colmán Stanley (@ColmnStanley1) May 28, 2023
READ HERE: "Great Relief" As Wexford Retain Place in Liam MacCarthy Cup
After the match, Wexford manage Darragh Egan spoke to the media and answered questions on whether he will be staying on next year.
"I don’t know. I don’t make the decisions. I absolutely love hurling. I absolutely love this group. I have my wife Sarah and the three boys at home and they are a massive support to me.
“I really think I have something to offer to whatever team I am with, but particularly this group of players. We have a good bond, we have built a good bond.
“People have tried everything to break it between poor results and outside noise, but you know I really, really think I have something to offer.
“No matter where I am next year I think I have something to offer the inter-county game and we will see how that pans out over the next few months.
"Lots of people would hope that I go up the road tonight and never come back down it but that’s alright too. I have thick skin and I am well able for all that stuff.”
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