LEINSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Jackson shines as Wicklow topple Offaly after extra-time drama
IT’S rare that a championship debutant makes a searing impact on a game in this day and age but it’s surely rarer still for that player to be the goalkeeper and for his main impact to be on the scoreboard.
Baltinglass man Mark Jackson stole the show in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, on Sunday evening last. A seven-point haul (five frees and two 45s), three of which arrived at the incredibly important stage at the end of normal time to help Wicklow force the game to extra-time where it was looking abundantly clear that they had the legs and the replacements to claim an incredibly important victory in terms of morale and interest in the county as a whole.
As if scoring those seven points wasn’t enough, Jackson, aside from a delay in the first half that resulted in a throw ball, proved very capable from the kick outs, gathered whatever high ball was dropped down upon him, could do very little about Anton Sullivan’s first half goal after he was left prone by his defence, and then there was the small matter of a magnificent penalty save that sickened Offaly and allowed Wicklow to grow in confidence and realise that this game was there for the taking.
“First half both teams were a bit edgy at the start. At half-time we came in and we knew we could win this, we were well in this.
“We came out, something clicked, don’t know what it was, it was brilliant. I thought we could have won it in normal time, but we didn’t, and I knew in the next 20 minutes that we’d get the win,” said a delighted Jackson after the game.
Mark quite rightly was named in the GAA’s Team of the Week on Monday along with his teak-tough colleague Dean Healy who put in a savage shift in the trenches, switching to attack to offer John Evans something going forward as Kevin Murphy settled in at centre-half back.
Jackson has been fighting tooth and nail with Aughrim’s Robert Lambert for the number one position; a situation John Evans is no doubt delighted with as both men are excellent goalkeepers, both capable of scoring from placed balls and both proven shot-stoppers.
The Baltinglass man is delighted with the win and hopes that more Wicklow supporters come out from here on in given the dismal numbers that turned out for the league games earleir this year.
“It’s good in the camp. There today, something completely clicked.
“We knew we could win it. It was something in us, we knew we had it and we brought it out of us and hopefully this will bring out more and more Wicklow supporters from now on.
“It’s brilliant, it’s absolutely brilliant, that’s what all the fans need. It’s a big boost for the county, and with the hurlers winning yesterday as well, it’s great,” he added