Tough opener against Lilywhites for Wicklow
Draw
JOHN EVANS’ Wicklow Senior footballs face a tough task in their opening Leinster SFC campaign of 2019 when they must face off with neighbours Kildare in Portlaoise.
The Garden County men endured a relatively bleak championship campaign after the highs of defeating a struggling Offaly side by 1-20 to 1-15 in Portlaoise on May 13 in their opener. That victory propelled them into a head-on collision with defending All-Ireland champions Dublin in Portlaoise where, despite posting a somewhat respectable tally of 1-11, they succumbed to a heavy defeat with Jim Gavin’s men bagging 4-25 ontheday.
There was much cause for optimism heading into the qualifier clash with Cavan in Joule Park Aughrim, albeit in the full knowledge that this was a Divison 1 football team coming to town and, alas, that gulf in league class was to be revealed in glaring brightness in a 2-16 to 1-5 thumping and a swift exit from the championship for the home side.
Kildare on the other hand had a completely different championship experience. Stunned by Carlow in their quarter-final by 2-14 to 1-10 on May 27, they bounced back immediately with a 2-22 to 2-14 victory over Derry in Owenbeg.
They then took off on a memorable qualifier journey that took them to Longford for a 0-21 to 0-19 win over the home side, they welcomed Mayo in that infamous ‘Newbride of Nowhere’ clash where they emerged as 0-21 to 0-19 victors before sweeping Fermanagh aside by 3-20 to 0-18 in Páirc Tailteann.
An All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Monaghan in Croke Park on July 15 by 0-15 to 1-10 put paid to their Sam Maguire ambitions but it showed a serious footballing ability among their ranks that they could recover from that nightmare opener against Carlow and still enjoy such a summer of football.
The winter rest and national football league campaign can change an awful lot for a county in terms of morale and personnel, but a tough battle awaits Wicklow when they take to the field against their neighbours for a chance to face Longford in the quarter-finals.
A win against Kildare for John Evans’ men and a victory against Longford would send the Garden County to a Leinster semi-final against the winners of Dublin and Louth or Wexford.
A trip to Waterford awaits Wicklow for their NFL Division 4 opener on January 26. Always a tricky venue to go for Garden County sides, a win on the road would set Wicklow up for a nice little run at league promotion.
A break from the road sees Wicklow welcome Leitrim and Limerick to Joule Park Aughrim on February 3 and 10 but it’s back on the tarmac big time on February 24 when John Evans takes his men to face relegated Derry in what will be a tough affair north of the border.
A home clash on Saturday, March 2, against neighbours provides some respite from the road but it’s northwards again on March 16 when Wicklow face Antrim in Belfast.
A meeting with London in Joule Park Aughrim closes the league campaign for Wicklow on March 24.