Liam Ryan set to return for Wexford hurlers in crucial Galway clash

The Rapparees man has yet to feature this year due to a calf injury, and his tenacity and experience would certainly be a big addition in shoring up a defence that has leaked costly late goals against Dublin and Antrim.

Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Charlie McGuckin, Cian Molloy and Corey Byrne-Dunbar remain sidelined as Wexford try to bounce back from a devastating 2-22 to 2-20 defeat to the Saffrons in Corrigan Park at the weekend.

Reflecting on that demoralising loss, manager Keith Rossiter was unsurprisingly despondent, but says Saturday’s shortcomings are in the past now and all they can do is try their utmost to put things right.

“It’s not a good result for us. It puts us under pressure going into the rest of the games. I said from day one when I came in as manager that it was always going to be a rollercoaster.

“We’ve had some quite good games over the last couple of months. We’re on a bit of a downer at the moment, so hopefully the rollercoaster will come back up for us now.

“It’s up to us and it’s up to the players to do that. Nobody else is going to do it for us. We need to bounce back and need to get a performance against Galway,” he said.

A common theme of Wexford’s provincial championship outings to date has been their inability to get over the line from winning positions, having to settle for a draw against Dublin when leading by five going into injury-time and letting a seven-point lead slip in Belfast.

“It’s not a matter of not being able to see it out. We’re not going into a defensive mode. That’s how I’d see seeing it out, going defensive and bringing men back, which might bring a team on to you.

“We’re just conceding too easily. We conceded the goals way too easily. I wouldn’t be happy with it. The first goal, in particular, allowed them back into the game.

“The goal turned the tide really. Their crowd got behind them and gave them a bit of belief. We came up and answered them with a couple of points and then they get the next goal.

“It’s a hard one to take, but it’s a result that’s after happening now and it’s reality. We need to move on from it,” he said.