So far so good for Conran

There will be no rushing John Conran for quotes this time. His first championship match as Wexford manager has just ended with one of the finer hurling climaxes from the county in several years. Players get his thoughts first, as is the courtesy.

So Offaly players pass by with heavy hearts when Conran finally steps out of the dressing-room to talk. "Well I suppose it will have to go down as a great comeback for Wexford hurling," he says, mindful that Offaly players are overhearing.

"We were seven points down at half-time, with a tremendous amount to do, but I knew there was great character in this team. But we know too we've a lot to do still. Kilkenny looked super here last night to beat Dublin, and we know that will be another uphill battle for us."

While it won't go down as the most comprehensive of victories, it has got Wexford to where they want to be. Offaly just didn't make it easy on them.

"Sure I was getting apprehensive. But the players had trained so hard for this game that I knew they'd be up to it, would keep putting the effort in, and not let it go softly. Once we got on song, everything started to work for us."

Paul Codd's performance had been a microcosm of Wexford's game: slow to start, missed chances, and a finish like a jet place. "Well that's Paul for you," says Conran. "If things aren't going well for him it's the mark of the man that he's able to turn it right around. And he missed nothing towards the end.

"But their goalkeeper Brian Mullins had a fantastic game. I thought we were light years ahead of them at that stage, and had we put in the balls that he saved then it could have been over a lot sooner.

"Still our half backs and centrefield gradually got on top. It took a long time for them to get to grips with the game, but when they did they all played tremendous."

Mike McNamara is at the same stage of his managerial term with Offaly, but with a team that has been forced to reinvent itself from the last decade.

"I think we were forced into a situation where we had to contain, rather than attack," he noted. "That took us out of our stride and that was a mistake.

"But the injury to Michael Cordial was the really big blow to us. We let him play on for a while hoping he would be okay but he wasn't."

Still, McNamara knows good hurling when he sees it, and he praised Wexford's resolute fightback, helped on by the greater blend of experience.

"I felt that both sides were equally well prepared but that Wexford had that little bit more experience to call on. And I knew at half-time that it was going to go right down to the wire, even though we had built up that good lead.

"We did play tremendously well for the first 20 minutes, but they're a young side with a real spirit. It would have been great to get to the Leinster final because that's what we wanted, to play a big game in Croke Park. But this game will have to go down as an experience."