CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:WEXFORD'S STUNNING win over Armagh at the weekend earns the county a first All-Ireland semi-final place in 63 years. It also continues the remarkable success story of Division Three teams, three of which reached the last 12 of the championship, and one of which has reached the last four.
One of those sides was Fermanagh, who came within an ace of winning a first provincial final before losing after a replay to Armagh. Manager Malachy O'Rourke is in a good position to judge Wexford's progress, having faced them twice during the National League, including in the Division Three final.
"We've played Wexford a couple of times this season and I thought they had the game to trouble Armagh and Matty Forde on the inside, but I'd have fancied Armagh's greater experience and the fact they'd played within themselves in Ulster and should have had another gear," says O'Rourke.
"Instead they let Wexford settle a bit. Armagh are never that bothered about you getting possession close to your own goal, as they'll count on stopping you out the field."
For much of the match that approach looked to be working, as the Ulster champions restricted Wexford and hit hard enough on the break to stay slightly ahead.
But eventually the surrender of possession came back to haunt Peter McDonnell's team when their experienced full back Francie Bellew misjudged a long delivery and allowed Matty Forde a fatal sight of goal.
"It's been as much about work rate and honesty," says O'Rourke of Wexford's approach. "The last couple of games they've played with a sweeper. They obviously identified the trouble they had against Dublin when they didn't play one and realised we either accept this and the same thing happens again or we do something about it.
"You play to your strengths. People would criticise us for not having a marquee forward but if we play conventionally against teams that do and give them the space we'd lose. If we curtail their style of play we may be able to win with a wider range of scorers.
"Wexford have forwards in Ciarán Lyng, Matty Forde and Redmond Barry who can score. When they weren't playing well on Saturday they got chances from frees that weren't easy kicks but they got them and that kept them in touch."
He also believes manager Jason Ryan - after a spectacular debut year - can defuse any problems caused by the massive Leinster final defeat by Dublin should the counties meet again later this month. "Tyrone will have a say in that but if it does end up with Wexford playing Dublin again the one thing in Wexford's favour is that they have never claimed the Leinster final was a mental block.
"They've pointed out they lost the ball in possession over 20 times in the second half so the problems were performance-based. They'll know if they eradicate mistakes they can improve and it would be great to get a second chance against a team that had beaten you that badly."
