We continue our classic games series with a look back at the 2017 Leinster semi-final; a day when this Wexford team came of age and claimed their first championship win over Kilkenny in 13 years.

The background

Barring shock wins in the 2014 and 2016 qualifiers, it had been a largely a barren period for Wexford hurling going back to their 2004 Leinster triumph.

Nonetheless, 2017 saw the arrival of Davy Fitzgerald as manager, and the Yellowbellies’ fortunes lifted virtually immediately. The signs were there – the Model County’s revival began with promotion from Division 1B in the National League ahead of Galway and Limerick. They subsequently beat their great rivals Kilkenny in the quarter-final of the springtime competition.

Coming into the summer, Wexford were warming up nicely, and dispatched of Laois in Leinster to set up a semi-final date with the Cats.

Meanwhile, Brian Cody’s charges were licking their wounds from the 2016 All-Ireland final defeat to Tipperary. It was a mixed league campaign, but the April defeat to Wexford won’t have sat well on Nore-side.

And so the rematch was set up – this time in the heat of championship.

Both sides had obstacles to overcome. Kilkenny’s Michael Fennelly was missing through injury, while Wexford had to do without their manager on the sideline, after Fitzgerald was banned for encroaching onto the field during the National League semi-final defeat to Tipperary.

The match: Wexford 1-20 Kilkenny 3-11

The stadium was rocking, and the June heat was matched by the intensity on the field.

Kilkenny drew first blood. Colin Fennelly was fouled as he ran in on goal, and TJ Reid expertly dispatched the resulting penalty.

From there the home side took control, out-scoring their visitors 1-13 to 0-5 with the goal coming from David Redmond.

Nonetheless, the Cats weren’t giving up without a fight. Fennelly’s fierce shot beat Mark Fanning in the Wexford goal, before Reid converted his second penalty of the evening.

However, the Yellowbellies weren’t going to be denied, as a virtuoso display from Lee Chin led them to a famous two-point victory.

What they said…

“It was an unbelievable finish from Wexford,” said Sky Sports pundit JJ Delaney after the game. “They were on top all over the field. The better team definitely won.

“Lee Chin gave an exhibition. He went in centre-forward, [then] came out midfield. He just pulled all the strings. Kilkenny got a goal, and Chin went up and got a vital point in injury time.

“When Kilkenny got the two goals, it wasn’t Kilkenny who kicked on. It was Wexford who kicked on. They were absolutely brilliant. The heart and workrate of this team, they’re buying into this system, and it will take a big team that’s going to beat them.”

Indeed, Chin couldn’t hide his delight when interviewed after full-time.

“Yeah of course,” the Faythe Harriers man smiled, when asked if it was the biggest win of his career. “When you get days like that on your own turf to beat Kilkenny, it’s always going to be special.

“A lot of this group that had played here today were the group who played in 2015 and were beaten by 24 points up in Nowlan Park. To turn that around today is massive for this group of players. Ever since Davy came in, he’s been doing so much work with us. We’ve come together so much as a team.

“A bit of structure then to go along with that. The result speaks for itself then today.”

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