*Lee Chin chases after Cathal Malone. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
LEE CHIN’s return to action for his first game of the season played a key part in Wexford’s victory over Clare in round three of the Allianz National Hurling League on Sunday.
Scorer of 0-5 on Sunday, he had a hand in a number of other scores including the team’s all important goal in the second half which Seamus Casey scored.
Speaking shortly after the final whistle the Faythe Harriers clubman said “we needed to put in a performance today playing the national league and All-Ireland champions in Ennis. Playing such opposition requires a performance, it requires lads turning up and sometimes that might not bring the result but, lucky enough, it did for us today”.
Reflecting on the beginning of the game where Clare went 1-2 0-0 ahead, he noted, “it can happen in games that teams will work their way into the game. Today we got into a rhythm after about ten minutes and, luckily enough, we started being more efficient, our shot efficiency was good. We kept ourselves going and got in at half time up by two or three and it was what we needed at that time”.
He agreed that “confidence grew and that happens when you are leading for the majority of time. Clare had moments when they were getting back and we had to batten down the hatches again and start winning a few balls at the back and put a few over the bar at our end. These things can go a different way another day but thankfully today they were going in favour of ourselves”
The Slaneysiders star went on to say “it was a battle for the points today. A victory like this can bring a bit of morale and a bit of enjoyment amongst the group. These last two weeks we were well beaten and it’s not easy going back to training when you are getting beaten a couple of weeks on the bounce. A day like today can enhance things a bit for the group”.
Explaining his absence from the team for the earlier rounds he said, “I took a break, it’s a long enough career and I thought it was time to take a bit of time for myself, I took a mental and physical break at the same time”.
