Kilkenny fell to a late Richie Lawlor goal in Wexford Saturday night to leave the confirmed finalists of The Walsh Cup in the hands of the Offaly and Laois game encounter on Sunday.
Offaly came back in the closing moments of the game against Laois to send Wexford into the Walsh Cup final against Galway. That game now serves as a double-header of sorts given, with the final amalgamating with Galway’s trip to Wexford in the opening round of the Allianz Hurling League in February.
Speaking after the game Saturday night Cats manager Derek Lyng outlined that there were positives and negatives to his side’s performance;
“Delighted with the effort, sometimes things do not go your way at the end of it. We did not get the break at the end and Wexford deserved the win.”
“We will take some positives and negatives away from it, there is plenty to work on and that is ok.”
Great lights show in Chadwicks Wexford Park ahead of tonight’s game. Crackling atmosphere here for this one. Live on @kclr96fm from 6pm. pic.twitter.com/3JE85OUFVk
— Scoreline.ie (@scorelinesport) January 21, 2023
See also: A special night for Wexford ends in defeat for Kilkenny in the Walsh Cup round 3
The senior hurlers will now head back to training this week in preparation for their league opener against Antrim over the new bank holiday weekend.
With a number of players involved in Fitzgibbon Cup games tonight and tomorrow, Lyng suggests it’s a bit of a balancing act as he works on getting his league panel assembled.
“We have to get ready for Antrim, that will be a big test up in Belfast. With players, it is a balancing act, we have some niggles, and lads coming back from sickness. We are trying to give them chances.”
“Just get them right for the next few weeks. We have a lot of games coming up, there is obviously Fitzgibbon midweek, so it nearly gets to the weekend before you find out how lads are feeling and updated reports from medical teams and making sure you have 26 fit lads coming into it.”
Tune into Scoreline Extra below to hear the full interview with Derek Lyng, Daragh Egan and Liam Ryan after Kilkenny v Wexford:
