Wexford came agonisingly close to securing their place in the Leinster final this afternoon, but their one-point defeat at the hands of Kilkenny ensured that they will not play in the provincial decider in 2024.
Wexford entered this game knowing that a victory would book their spot in the final, although they could also have exited the championship had results gone against them. In the end, they would fall between those two stools, finishing third in the group and earning a place in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.
They may well feel hard done by with the final outcome of the Kilkenny game, especially when you consider the bizarre penalty given to their opponents during the second half of the contest.
As well as that, it seems as though they were not all that impressed by the condition of the pitch at Nowlan Park.
READ HERE: Joe Brolly Blasts "Bore" and "Disgrace" Roy Keane In Extraordinary Rant
Wexford boss not impressed by Bruce Springsteen impact on Kilkenny game
Nowlan Park has been a busy venue in recent weeks, with the Kilkenny ground having hosted a Bruce Springsteen concert a couple of weeks ago.
It seems as though the pitch might still be recovering from that event.
Speaking after today's game, Wexford manager Keith Rossiter said he was shocked to see just how poor the playing surface looked as a result of the Springsteen gig, something that meant he found it difficult to comment on the penalty given against his side.
I’d need to look back on it. It was on the right side of the field because if it was the other side of the field, you wouldn’t have seen any sign of a line with the amount of damage done with the concert last week.
How that can happen I don’t know, to be honest, before a big championship match.
I saw a picture of it during the week and I saw a picture at about 11 o’clock this morning, I couldn’t believe it. But it is what it is, we would have gladly played in Wexford Park, which is a good sod at the minute, but I don’t think Kilkenny were going to change that.
But Bruce had to be played, I suppose. They had to dance in the dark up here for a couple of days but the pitch was the one to suffer.
The Irish Independent suggest that much of the damage to the playing surface was carried out by a crane, which was required to lift the stage from the pitch the day after the Bruce Springsteen concert.
The timing of the gig certainly was not ideal, falling in the middle of the Leinster hurling round robin. In saying that, the playing surface was the same for both Kilkenny and Wexford this afternoon and is unlikely to have had much impact on the result.
SEE ALSO: Crazy Kilkenny Penalty Decision Costs Wexford Potential Leinster Final Spot
