Galway 2-19

Wexford 1-20

THIS type of erratic display at Wexford Park on Saturday evening wouldn’t cut the mustard in the championship, but that’s not the priority for Galway hurlers at present as there are more pressing issues in the short term

A third Division 1A league win on the trot has at least eliminated any lingering threats about relegation and also leaves the Tribesmen with a sporting chance of making the competition’s final despite tough away assignments against Limerick and Cork to come.

Galway would have taken that scenario after their opening round trimming by Tipperary, and the team management must be encouraged by the response to that deflating experience, even if it had been a callow team sent into battle on that occasion.

Gradually, Galway have been fielding more familiar selections, as underlined by the return of 2017 All-Ireland winning captain David Burke for this clash with a Wexford team which had arrested a terrible start to the campaign with a surprise win over Clare in Ennis the previous weekend.

Burke, who picked off two trademark points in the opening half, took up station in his customary midfield position, with Tom Monaghan moving to the half-forward line on an evening the team’s wing-back, Michael Garvey, surprisingly emerged as the team’s joint top-scorer.

Garvey, who hadn’t been seen since that heavy loss to Tipperary, made the most of his recall with a haul of five points, comprised of four long-range frees and a mighty effort from play. It was also from his placed ball that Anthony Burns scored a goal out of nothing on the stroke of half-time.

This was a fluctuating contest fought out before an attendance of 4,658. Both teams enjoyed their periods of superiority and were gifted goals, but the crucial difference was Galway’s superior economy. They had only five wides compared to Wexford’s 14.

It should have set up Micheál Donoghue’s team for a routine win, and that outcome was on the cards when they led by 2-18 to 1-14 by the 63rd minute after gaining serious momentum on the scoreboard from the substitutes’ bench.

Instead, Galway had to endure a hairy finish, with their packed goal-line defending a free from Mark Fanning in the last play of the game after Wexford had caught fire late on, thanks to a string of Lee Chin frees and substitute Shane Reck’s effort from play.

Darach Fahy, whose distribution needs tidying up, got his body in the way from his opposite number’s match-winning attempt, and the couple of hundred travelling Galway supporters could breathe a sigh of relief after a battle which only occasionally stirred into life.

Having been well beaten at the same venue in last year’s championship, together with Wexford gaining that big morale boost by beating Clare seven days earlier, Galway knew Saturday’s contest would be no formality.

Pictured: Galway’s Declan McLoughlin on the attack against Wexford during Saturday’s National Hurling League tie at Wexford Park.