A major challenge
Nothing easy to be had for Wicklow in Model County
IS the game next Saturday with Wexford more important to Wicklow football going forward than its championship equivalent at the same venue a fortnight later? Not a nice question to ask and one as a manager its one that you hope players do not have an answer in their head for. Promotion to division three carries a whole world of benefits and its something well within our grasp.
It is a long, long time since we have won a league game in Wexford. You have to go back to February 16th in 1997 for our last win down there. The win in ’97 kept Wicklow in the hunt for promotion back then. A win over Westmeath in Mullingar in the last round of fixtures kept up their end of the bargain but a draw between Roscommon and Down seen those two occupy the top two spots in the final standings.
The win in 1997 was hard earned. Fergus Daly, Darren Coffey and Brendan O’Hannaidh were absentees from the selected team but replacements of the calibre of Kevin O’Brien, Ray Danne and Brendan Brady softened the blow. Wexford had the benefit of the strong wind in the first half and held Wicklow scoreless and the home side led 1-4 to nil at the break. Wexford were dealt a blow during the opening half when corner back Dessie Stafford was red carded for his part in an off the ball incident with Damien McMahon. This allowed Wicklow to utilise Mick Murtagh as the free man and the Dunlavin man excelled in the second half. Time and again a Wexford clearance was picked up by Murtagh who used possession well to set Wicklow on the attack.
It was Conan Daye who finally got Wicklow on the scoreboard in the 35th minute from a free. Team captain Philip McGillycuddy who was having a fine game at midfield got the second from a tight angle and another Daye free in the 39th minute had Wexford
The last Wicklow team to defeat Wexford on their home turf in 1997.
worried. Some poor shooting was hampering the Wicklow challenge but the goal they so badly needed arrived in the 48th minute. It was Daye who stole in behind the Wexford defence to get on the end of a long Murtagh delivery to finish to the net. It was all square with ten minutes to play when Daye pointed a ’45 to level it up.
Wicklow took the lead in the 57th minute when Damien McMahon pointed after a Kevin O’Brien shot came back off the post. Daye extended the lead but the game
was to finish in some controversy. Scott Doran was bearing down on Ken Quirke’s’ goal when he was hauled down by Seamus Miley. Wexford wanted a penalty but the referee only gave a free from fourteen metres which Leigh O’Brien pointed but it was too late for another score. A bit of a smash and grab win for Wicklow for whom Barry O’Donovan was singled out as man of the match. Brendan Brady, Miley, McGillycuddy, Keith Byrne and the top scoring Daye were others who got a mention.
Wicklow: Ken Quirke (Baltinglass); Barry O’Donovan (Blessington), Hugh Kenny (Baltinglass), Mick Murtagh (Dunlavin); Brendan Brady (An Tochar), Brian Whelan (Baltinglass), Seamus Miley (Dunlavin); Philip McGillycuddy (An Tochar, 0-1), Shane O’Neill (Donard/ The Glen); Keith Byrne (Shillelagh), Kevin O’Brien (Baltinglass), Raymond Danne (Baltinglass); Damien McMahon (Baltinglass, 0-1), Stephen Byrne (Shillelagh), Conan Daye (An Tochar, 1-4) Sub: Murt Davis (An Tochar) for O’Neill.