By Cian O’Connell

In the build up, as Wexford planned and plotted, Adrian Fenlon sensed something positive could happen against Kilkenny at Croke Park.

Without a Leinster title since 1997, Fenlon still believed that Wexford’s cocktail of emerging and established players could cause a shock.

That it happened courtesy of a last gasp Mick Jacob goal merely added to the sense of excitement at GAA headquarters. The All Ireland champions were beaten by a last gasp major.

Wexford’s innovative approach was rewarded when the most prized scalp of all taken.

Ultimately Fenlon’s sideline cut, a trademark on the fields of Ireland by then, led to the goal which was expertly planted into the back of the Kilkenny net by Jacob. The finish was dramatic and the memory remains vivid in Fenlon’s mind.

“It was, we were going through a pretty poor spell to be honest,” Fenlon, the splendid former Wexford midfielder, reflects.

“Kilkenny was always going to be a tough task, they were flying it at that stage, but we knew we could beat them.

“We were confident that we could beat them and we devised a gameplan around puckout strategy and forward movement, stuff like that, to disrupt their half back line, who were pretty dominant at the time. They were exceptional actually.

“We had to disrupt them, we did so, and I think that we caught them off guard that day. They didn't see it coming and that gave us a little bit of an advantage.

“We were lucky enough to be competitive up until the death and then we got fortunate with Mick Jacob's goal in the dying moments. It was a great win, we were delighted, and the people of Wexford were delighted. We were confident we could win even though they were a great team at the time.

“A lot of thought went into it and a lot of tactical plans were devised to primarily disrupt their half back line, who were totally dominant in the air at that time.”

That was an interesting approach when new systems and approaches were being implemented by teams throughout the land.

“There wasn't as much back then compared to now in terms of strategies, tactics, short puckouts,” Fenlon says.

“They weren't the norm then, albeit Donal Og Cusack was starting to bring it in to the Cork style of play. The set play for us where we could find an advantage was basically a puckout strategy on the day.

“We spent hours and hours devising how we could create space because the Kilkenny backs were brilliant at the time.

“They were playing to a pattern, playing to a static six, sitting deep, crowding out the space for forwards. We knew if we could shift them around a bit, to create a bit of movement it would disrupt their comfort for want of a better word. We could get under their skin a bit and so we did.”

Having sampled glory early in his inter-county career during the hurling revolution years of the 90s Fenlon stresses that while Wexford didn’t earn silverware again until 2004 they believed that they weren’t too far away either.

“It was hard to take, ‘97 Tipperary caught us in an All Ireland semi-final,” Fenlon admits. “We won the Leinster Final which was great, we got caught off guard by a good Tipp team in the semi-final of ‘97.

“We tried to bounce back in ‘98 and we were in great shape, in great physical shape in 1998. We were unfortunate to lose to the last stroke of the ball, a Johnny Dooley ground strike goal in a Leinster semi-final.

“Offaly went on to win the All Ireland, we certainly thought we were going to be at the table in 1998. That was a cruel blow, the Johnny Dooley goal, it really took the life out of us for a couple of years.”

Other near misses were added to the Wexford collection too. “ In 2001 and 2003 we got to All Ireland semi-finals,” Fenlon continues.

“We drew with Tipp in a semi-final in 2001, there was a couple of sending offs. We could have beaten Tipp, especially in the drawn game, from memory I think we felt the game was blown up a minute or two early when we were in the ascendancy.

“We felt that if it went on for another minute or two we had Tipp. It was a draw and a replay, though, and when that came along Tipp beat us fair and square. I do think we had chances that first day and if another minute or two had been played we could have got over the line to get to an All Ireland final in 2001. People forget those.

“In 2003 we were against a really great Cork team. We were five or six points up with about 10 or 15 minutes to go, but Setanta O'hAilpin got in to get a goal or two, Joe Deane was on fire with the frees. You'd be thinking when you are five or six points up in an All Ireland semi-final that you might get over the line.

“Albeit it was a barren spell, 1997 until 2004 there were glimmers of hope that we weren't too far away in those two semi-finals for sure. To get back to win a Leinster final in 2004 was great for the county.”

The manner in which Wexford blended the youth and experience was critical according to Fenlon. “There was a great batch of young players,” Fenlon remarks about those who were beginning to arrive on the inter-county scene.

“Damien Fitzhenry, myself, Rory McCarthy we were all on our last legs in the early noughties, but you had great players coming through - Gizzy Lyng, Keith Rossiter, Darren Stamp, Rory Jacob, Doc O'Connor, Eoghan Quigley, and I'm missing a few.

“Very good hurlers coming through, who we were hoping might go on to bigger and better things. Other teams pushed forward. Kilkenny were in a different zone at that stage, it was very hard for Wexford to get out of Leinster.

“So they came up against probably the greatest team of all time against Kilkenny in the early noughties. It was hard for Wexford to make headway out of Leinster. We never could make the breakthrough in the late noughties which put us back a few years, but we are on the up again, very competitive.”

The pleasure of representing Wexford on those summer days in Croke Park and elsewhere brings a sense of satisfaction and pride.

Fenlon, one of the most respected players of that era, appreciates everything that occurred during his time wearing the purple and gold. “It was fantastic to represent your club at senior, but then to represent your county at senior for 13 or 14 years was fantastic,” Fenlon admits.

“Not too many people get the privilege to do that, to put on the county senior jersey. Loads of people would give their right arm for that so I was a lucky one. You were surrounded by great people and great players. That made it easier.

“You'd look back with fondness for sure on the memories. You'd have wished you won more, thought you'd have won more, but I'm sure a lot of counties think like that. It is the friendships you make along the way that is very gratifying. Not just within your own county set-up, but you'd know lads from Kilkenny, Clare, Cork, Tipp, various counties you'd have played against - Offaly, Waterford too. You'd have played, got a lot of respect and gave a lot of respect.

“When you meet them now years after you strike up conversation and live back the good old days, have a bit of a laugh about it. That is how life moves on, there is a whole new breed, a whole new style of play, we are all followers now, and love going to the games.”

A generation of Wexford people and beyond will always salute how Fenlon and his colleagues played the game.