Ryan’s Limerick racked up 4-26 against the hapless Slaneysiders, who were playing their fourth game in as many weekends.

And Ryan insisted: “To be fair to Wexford, playing four weeks on the trot at this level isn’t fair.

“I don’t think it’s right. It was difficult and going to catch up with them at some stage. I think today was the day.

“If was in the situation where we played four championship games four weeks in a row…it’s very hard, with two extra times.

“Jesus, you’d want to be a machine.”

Ryan added: “Our fellas started well, we got on top, then we got the scores and then we pushed ahead. From their point of view, adrenalin would have kept them going if they were in front but when that didn’t happen, our boys in fairness were professional and they drove on.”

Ryan was pleased with his team’s reaction to losing the Munster final to Cork.

But the former full-back frankly admitted that his side’s Pairc Ui Chaoimh loss might have been down to his pre-match approach.

Ryan explained: “From our point of view, we had six weeks to prepare for a Munster final and I might have pushed the lads a bit too hard the week before the Munster final.

“Looking back, did we do too much on the week of the match but look, I felt at the time the match would bring us on. I was happy coming into today.”

Ryan added: “I wasn’t overly happy with some of the stuff that a lot of ye guys wrote over the couple of days about us, but that’s a story for another day.

“Today is a good day for Limerick hurling – we showed a bit of consistency as well.

“We were in an All-Ireland semi-final last year, we’re back there again this year. It’s a good position and it’s a good week for Limerick hurling after the minor team won the Munster championship as well.”

Wexford boss Liam Dunne said: “Unfortunately, things didn't happen for us.

“From early on in the game you could see that the heads were wanting to get there but the bodies weren't able to bring them there and I can't fault our fellas.

“It's been a tough couple of weeks and we just came up short.

"Limerick, in fairness to them, were beaten in a Munster final and they came in today and you have to give them credit.

“They put our fellas under severe pressure, they brought an intensity to the game and unfortunately we just didn't have it.”