Footballers off to poor start with loss to Carlow
Tough Carlow side grind out gritty victory
CARLOW 0-11 WICKLOW 0-9
CONFIDENCE is an abstract quality that is very difficult to define or shape but it is abundantly clear when it is present and when it is absent and when reflecting on last Saturday evening’s Allianz NFL Division 4 opener between Carlow and Wicklow in Netwatch Cullen Park it is fair to say that one team possessed it while another desperately needs a booster.
Wicklow’s two-point defeat to 14-man Carlow is a tough start for Davy Burke’s men in a league that will present plenty of tough challenges but the defeat needs to be put into context given the difficulty of the opposition, and the county footballers can take plenty of positives from their performance in a game they could have won when all is said and done.
And while confidence in that scoring zone seems to be an issue, what’s not in doubt is the hunger and the desire that the Wicklow players possess.
Carlow in Turlough O’Brien’s time at the helm (and Stephen Poacher prior to his departure) have become notorious for their defensive prowess, their physical size, abrasiveness and their ability to hurt teams on the counter.
They are also oozing confidence all over the field and should be there or thereabouts come the business end of this league going on last Saturday evening’s performance.
Wicklow on the other hand are a team radically altered since the dark days of a few years ago and in the very early stages of Davy Burke’s tenure as manager, but a team that still needs something to help it find its feet and discover belief and confidence that will see them grow and blossom into the side that it has the potential to be.
Wicklow had a dozen wides over the course of this game, almost half from placed balls, and they found themselves in a great position for a goal in the first half only for a defender to be on the end of the move and the chance was lost.
Carlow on the other hand accrued six wides over the 70 minutes and showed a real confidence in the second half especially when they struck for five points from play before finishing their scoring from a placed ball. And each time those efforts from play sailed between the sticks the roar went up on and off the field and the Carlow men grew even bigger and the hill in front of the Wicklow men became even steeper.
Where Carlow players were more than willing to have that shot when they worked the possession to within 30 or 35 yards the Wicklow players chose not to or were closed down too quickly, at times preferring instead to turn back, recycle, slowing everything down and giving the burly Carlow defenders time to make life incredibly difficult for the likes of Conor Byrne, Eoin Darcy, Mark Kenny, Darragh Fitzgerald or Andy Maher.
Physically, Carlow are a huge team. Dean Healy is our biggest man and the Pat’s man drove relentlessly in this game, but an early knock and that defensive blanket reduced his impact on the game considerably and Wicklow’s hopes suffered accordingly.
Carlow had a man sent off in the opening minute when Paul Broderick struck AGB’s Jack Hamilton after the pair had engaged in a bit of getting to know one another.
Losing a man can work for and against a team and Wicklow deployed Oisin Manning as the spare man in front of his full-back line. However, it seemed from outside the white lines that Carlow’s strength and threat in that first half came when they drove like maniacs down the middle where they then won frees – in fact, all five of their first-half scores came from placed balls.
Very little long ball was deployed into the Wicklow full-back line, so Manning appeared to be effectively minding an avenue of attack that was not being availed of.
But it is the confidence factor that is key here. The tactic of bringing Mark Jackson up to take frees and 45s seems to be counteractive to instilling confidence in this team. The Baltinglass man is, as Davy Burke said after the game, one of the most important players in this current team and a fantastic goalkeeper but it might be more beneficial if players well capable of pointing frees at the other end of the field are given that chance.
And there’s a number of reasons for this train of thought.
The first is the strange and at times vicious vitriol and contempt which goalkeepers being brought up to take frees and 45s seems to inspire among opposing players and supporters.
Rarely if ever do we see an outfield player suffering the hassle, the shouldering, the mouthing which a goalkeeper has to suffer. It’s not just the players either, the rival supporters seem to become incensed by a talented goalkeeper making his way up the field and it’s open season in terms of abuse and hassle, something we rarely see directed towards an outfield player aside from a late free to steal victory or something similar.
This behaviour makes Mark Jackson’s job much harder than it would normally be if he was afforded the respect shown to other players.
The second aspect of this tactic is what it says to those outfield players. It’s completely understandable that Davy Burke and his backroom team want Mark Jackson to come up and take the frees and 45s given his accuracy and stunning ability from the ground but what would it do for the confidence of Gearoid Murphy or Eoin Darcy or Chris O’Brien if they were to be given the chance and if they achieved success. It’s possible they would never look back.
The third thing worth noting is the affect the tactic has on the game from a Wicklow point of view. Gone is the chance of a quick free to catch the opposition off guard, and it would seem that a considerable amount of extra time is taken given the journey time which slows everything down and removes that vital urgency that smaller teams need against bigger opponents.
On paper this Wicklow team looked like one that would cause Carlow major problems. An exciting attack and a hard-working and mobile defence with plenty of youth in the ranks on the field and on the bench.
However, facing them were a big team with the likes of Sean Murphy rampaging up through the middle at every opportunity and big athletes like Brendan Murphy, Darragh Foyle, Ray Walker, John Murphy and Eoghan Ruth scattered all over the field not to mention Shane Redmond at full back.
Wicklow lined out with a fourman attack, Chris O’Brien and Mark Kenny inside, then Darren Hayden and Rory Finn, and with Eoin Darcy and Gearoid Murphy given the task of roaming around looking for scraps and to launch attacks where possible.
It would seem from the under-20 games and from the minor games in years previous that Eoin Darcy’s most dangerous position in terms of troubling opposition defences is close to goal where he can use that wonderful poaching instinct and sharp pace and wicked awareness to win possession and take on his men. The Tinahely man endured what looked to have been a very difficult shift in the county jersey as he hunted out the field in heavy traffic.
A foul on Connor Doyle allowed Darragh Foley the chance to open the scoring from a free and the Kilbride man took it sweetly.
Wicklow would have three wides on the board by the time AGB’s Chris O’Brien got them off the mark after 14 minutes from a free won by Paddy O’Keane. A minute later and Wicklow led thanks to a superb score from Dean Healy who fired a screamer over the bar at the end of the first quarter.
Mark Jackson put his earlier wides behind him after 19 when he fired over a free after a foul on Dean Healy and things were looking promising with the visitors leading by 0-3 to 0-1.
Sean Murphy’s runs were causing massive problems for Wicklow and Oisin Manning was forced to foul after 23 and Foley fired over.
Dave Devereux was harshly penalised by the referee two minutes later and Foley proved his worth by pulling the sides level.
A wide, an advanced mark dropped short and a spurned goal chance would be all that Wicklow could harvest for the remainder of the half but Carlow finished strong with converted frees from Foley and Diarmuid Walshe.
Davy Burke sent in Conor Byrne and Eoin Murtagh in place of Gearoid Murphy and Jack Hamilton at the start of the second half but Carlow pounced immediately from the throw in when beefy Brendan Murphy sailed a beauty over the bar to make it 0-6 to 0-3.
A wide from a 45 and from play for Wicklow followed before Chris O’Brien fired over from a free after six minutes.
Carlow were growing in confidence. Corner back Mikey Bambrick rifled over a fine score after a long voyage up the field, but Rory Finn hit back as the tensions started to mount.
Jordan Morrissey started to come more and more into the game at this stage and superb play on his part set up Diarmuid
Walshe for a fine score from play as the home side started to really exert themselves all over the field.
A foul on Eoin Murtagh gave Chris O’Brien another chance and he dropped it over with aplomb as we entered the fourth quarter.
Morrissey continued to show the confidence of his entire team when he finished a fine, patient move with a stunner after 17.
But Wicklow bounced back well. Another Finn point from a free was followed by a Conor Byrne score after the Avondale man called an advanced mark to leave Wicklow just a point behind.
The old failings in front of the posts reared their heads at this stage and Wicklow notched two more wides before Sean Murphy put some daylight between the sides and Eoin Murtagh picked up a black card having made a very important intervention where a Carlow goal looked very likely.
Now Wicklow were in bother. Davy Burke sent in Seanie Furlong for Chris O’Brien and Darragh Fitzgerald for Oisin Manning but Carlow struck for a point from a free by Darragh O’Brien where Wicklow could only register another two wides (one free).
Carlow began having shooting problems of their own at this stage but at least they were playing the game in Wicklow territory.
A Seanie Furlong free after a foul on Conor Byrne was the end of the Wicklow scoring and that late recovery just never materialised.
There is without a doubt room for improvement but it is comforting to note that the scope for that improvement seems to be thereand all is certainly not lost at this early stage.
Scorers – Darragh Foley 0-4 (4f), Diarmuid Walshe 0-2 (1f), Mikey Bambrick 0-1, Brendan Murphy 0-1, Sean Murphy 0-1, Darragh O’Brien 0-1 (f), Jordan Morrissey 0-1.
Wicklow: Chris O’Brien 0-3 (3f), Rory Finn 0-2 (2f), Dean Healy 0-1, Mark Jackson 0-1 (f), Conor Byrne 0-1 (f), Seanie Furlong 0-1 (f).
CARLOW: Robert Samson; Mikey Bambrick, Shane Redmond, Niall Roche; Jordan Morrissey, Brendan Murphy, Conor Doyle; Sean Murphy, Ray Walker; Paul Broderick, Darragh Foley, John Murphy; Diarmuid Walshe, Eoghan Ruth, Darragh O’Brien. Subs: Josh Moore for N Roche (48), Robbie Kane for R Walker (62), Conor Crowley for D Foley (62), Ross Dunphy for D Walshe (64), Liam Roberts for M Bambrick (70+4). WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Oisin Manning, Jamie Snell, Jack Hamilton; Darren Hayden, Niall Donnelly, Dave Devereux; Pádraig O’Toole, Rory Finn; Dean Healy, Mark Kenny, Paddy O’Keane; Eoin Darcy, Chris O’Brien, Gearóid Murphy. Subs: Eoin Murtagh for J Hamilton (H/T), Conor Byrne for G Murphy (H/T), Andy Maher for D Hayden (48), Seanie Furlong for C O’Brien (64), Darragh Fitzgerald for O Manning (64). REFEREE: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)