Gregory and Deans inspire Wicklow but Dubs hold out
team with their full-back and centre-half back resembling fully grown men. Dublin’s corner-back Eamon Hill was sweeping for a time.
Wicklow started very well but right from the start it was there to be seen that Dublin possessed that almost innate ability to run directly at teams.
The Wicklow lads attacked with menace but when they were turned over the Dublin counter-attack was swift and purposeful with Conor Kinsella and Josh McKenna and Adam Byrne superb at charging into the heart of the Wicklow defence.
Martin Ging’s men drew first blood with almost 10 minutes on the clock when Gearoid Murphy gathered near the sideline and fed Ross Coogan who rounded his man and returned the pass to Murphy who swept over a sweet point.
But the Dublin potency was revealed almost immediately when they broke up the field and Jordan Leonard fed midfielder Darragh Warnock who rampaged in along the end line and lashed home from a tight angle with a goal that just shouldn’t have been allowed to be scored by the Wicklow defence.
Oisin McGraynor went wide with a close in free shortly afterwards after a foul on Mark Reid and then Warnock swung over a beauty of a point on the quarter-hour mark to make it 1-01 to 0-01.
Two converted frees in quick succession from Ross Coogan brought Wicklow back to within a point of the Dubs but they pushed on from here thanks to an exquisite effort off his left from corner-forward Ciaran Archer after 20 minutes, Adam Byrne from a free, and a point from Conor Kinsella after a tremendous run from the centre half-back.
Dublin were breaking up the field almost at will at this stage and from another of those searing invasions into Wicklow territory full-forward Andrew Gilroy popped over to make it 1-05 to 0-03 at the break.
A rejigged Wicklow side took to the field for the second half with James Tyrrell, Adam Wynne, Conall Ó Gallchobair, Fintan O’Shea, Tadhg O’Toole and Newtown’s Sean Gregory taking to the field.
Wicklow showed real intent from the restart with Gearoid Murphy chasing down a seemingly lost cause and winning a 45 for his efforts. He then wetn short with the 45 and Wicklow seemed to have lost the ball but won it back and the ball was worked to Murphy who stroked a sweet point over the bar.
Martin Ging had stationed Jordan Deans at full-forward for the second half and Gearoid Murphy seemed to thrive in the open spaces further out the field while Deans strength and power worked a treat inside against the burly Sean Tuke.
Dublin took a 1-06 to 0-04 lead after six minutes of the second half but then Jordan Deans grabbed the first goal of his hat-trick thanks to the wonderful efforts of Sean Gregory who lit up this game from a Wicklow perspective in the second half.
Where Wicklow, for the most part, had run into blockages along the Dublin 45 in the opening half, Gregory, and Kieran Sheehy as well, were able to stab holes in the Dublin rearguard and inspire overlaps and openings that were much harder to come by in the first half.
Alas, that slight weakness at the back allowed dublin to grab a goal back almost immediately through midfielder Fionnan O’Sullivan with 12 minutes on the clock.
But Wicklow were starting to believe and Adam Delahunt rattled the Dublin net moments later to make it 2-06 to 2-04 in favour of the home team.
O’Sullivan pushed it out to a three-point game before Gregory continued to cause the Dublin defence migraines and he pointed superbly.
The Wicklow challenge may well have collapsed shortly after this when they found the back of Conor Browne’s net despite a great save from the Éire Óg man from the original shot from Adam Byrne. The deflection was followed up by the impressive Ciaran Archer and finished with aplomb.
But Wicklow never stopped battling and at 3-09 to 2-05 down with not long left they launched a serious bid for the Dublin jugular when Jordan Deans struck home two goals to make it 3-09 to 4-05 to leave Wicklow within a point of the Dubs.
But the effort to get back to this stage may have contributed to some careless errors down in their own defence and Dublin slotted over two points, one from Jordan Leonard and one from Darragh Warnock, either side of a super Cian Lee effort to leave Dublin probably deserving winners on a score of 3-11 to 4-06 but they got a scare near the end and Wicklow would not have been flattered by a win.
Martin Ging will be pleased with his side’s efforts over the three games.
He will be delighted that the three encounters will have given his players the confidence in the tactics and the belief in the system he is playing and come the Leinster Championship they will be ready to give it a serious effort and play to their full potential and bring home the win.
Scorers – Dublin: Fionnan O’Sullivan 1-03; Ciaran Archer 2-01; Fionnan O’Sullivan 0-02; Adam Byrne 0-01; Andrew Gilroy 0-01; Liam Tyrell 0-01; Jordan Leonard 0-01.
Wicklow: Jordan Deans 3-00; Ross Coogan 0-02 (2f); Gearoid Murphy 0-02; Adam Delahunt 1-00; Sean Gregory 0-01; Cian Lee 0-01. Sean Gregory Dublin had some quality players no doubt but for Wicklow it has to be Newtown’s Sean Gregory who gets the nod as the stand out player on the day. Fair enough he only came on at halftime but his ability and his energy made a huge difference to the Wicklow cause and his pace and power made him a headache for the Dublin defence. Jordan Deans has to get a mention here for his wonderful hat-trick of goals, Ross Coogan treid very hard, Gearoid Murphy was his usual noteworthy self, Pádraíg O’Toole worked hard as always and every Wicklow player can hold their heads high for their performance and the way they represented the county.
TALKING POINT
Abbottstown Abbotstown is amazing. The all-weather pitch, like the facility in Bray Emmets GAA Club, is outstanding and the hurling wall looks like a real asset to have. The Dubs The management team for the Dublin side are almost a team in themselves they are so numerous. And they’re really well kitted out. They’d remind you of those films about the underdogs who come up against the mightly champions who have everything any team could ever want. That’s who the Dubs would remind you of with all their matching coats and hats.
WHERE TO NEXT?
Wicklow will now play Longford in a Longford venue on April 22.