Wicklow need a shot in the arm
Footballers low on confidence
YOUR heart would go out to the Wicklow footballers as they traipsed off the field in Cusack Park, Ennis, following their disappointing 2-15 to 0-8 defeat at the hands of Clare, their fourth loss on the trot.
And not in any sentimental or blindly supportive way, but because we all know this crop of players are nowhere near as poor as this performance suggests and that if they could get a break and rediscover some degree of confidence, they would be able to challenge the majority of teams in this division.
Despite the four defeats, and in the face of this lacklustre and leaderless display for three-quarters of this game, survival in Division 3 is very much in their own hands at this moment in time, with the game against Offaly in Tullamore on Sunday a massive one in that context.
With Wicklow, Offaly and Limerick all yet to register points and with two teams going down, that means that the significant prize of not dropping back down to the basement division is very much still up for grabs.
Oisin McConville’s troops have the Faithful County, Limerick and Antrim left to play, Limerick have Clare, the Garden County and Offaly and Offaly have Wicklow, Sligo and Limerick which means that a win on Sunday and the expected victory for Clare against their neighbours would lift Wicklow out of the relegation zone and see the Treaty coming to Echelon Park Aughrim for what could be a season defining moment.
But while it’s all fine to talk about permutations and possibilities, none of that will make any difference whatsoever unless this Wicklow team find a sense of adventure and some degree of belief in themselves.
This was a relatively entertaining game for the opening half an hour, apart from some frustrating refereeing decisions that gifted Clare a collection of frees close in on the Wicklow goal, but the visitors were making their presence felt and had sniffs of chances of goals and other scores and were well in the game.
The concession of the two goals before half-time and the manner in which both of those goals arrived sucked every ounce of confidence and belief out of these Wicklow players in the same way a dementor might remove the soul from a character in Harry Potter.
And as bad as the two goals were for the collective psyche of the Wicklow squad, the fact that Clare came out in the second half and landed five points without reply, the first after no more than 15 seconds, with JP Nolan bringing a save out of Stephen Ryan in the Clare goal the only real Wicklow reply, meant that this game was well and truly over as a competitive fixture with a half an hour left to play.
This is a young Wicklow side who are bereft of confidence by the looks of things. Why that is, is a big question, but they desperately need a break, something to go their way to help them grab that first win, save their Division 3 status and head towards the Taillteann Cup with a real sense of potential.
Scoring goals would be one of those breaks that would be a huge help. One goal from four games is a worrying stat, not so much if the team were registering point tallies in the high teens, but when white flags are hard to come by, then their green cousins are incredibly vital, and missed opportunities in front of goals have proved costly to date.
By contrast, Down have bagged eight majors in their four fixtures, although interestingly none against Wicklow, however their 18 points on the day were more than enough to secure victory. Offaly have five goals in the bank, Limerick three. Wicklow need green flags in the worst possible way.
As hard as it will be for this team to reflect on this game in Cusack Park, looking back on the first quarter will be the easiest, because that was a decent spell for this Wicklow side.
An early scare after a short kickout from Shane Doyle was robbed by Clare passed without penalty but Chris O’Brien, a welcome sight back in the starting 15, dropped an effort short to Clare’s Stephen
Ryan moments later.
A wide apiece followed but quality play from Wicklow’s man of the match Malachy Stone allowed Wicklow break at pace. Alas, Chris O’Brien couldn’t gather a Kevin Quinn pass first time and had to stoop to gather which allowed Clare players to get back and surround him, the chance of an early major snuffed out.
Gearoid Murphy opened the scoring after eight with a peach following good work from Eoin D’Arcy and Craig Maguire.
While Wicklow were conceding the Clare kick-outs, a strong press on the subsequent restart forced a turnover but the end result was a Kevin Quinn wide.
While the visitors were allowing Clare have their restarts, the opposite was the case at the other of the field, with Shane Doyle having to work exceptionally hard to find his targets, picking out Tom Moran superbly after 12 only for the subsequent move to end with a Kevin Quinn wide from distance. If these chances could go over, the confidence in not only the kicker but the entire team would lift.
The result of giving Clare their kick-outs soon revealed itself. Fullback Ronan Lanigan and half-back Ikem Ugweru became delivery drivers, ferrying all sorts of treats to the hungry inside forwards, often rampaging well inside the Wicklow 45 before hitting a Garden wall.
Clare’s opener came from a foul by Matt Nolan on Cormac Murray as Einne O’Connor was about to deliver a missile delivered from one such Ugweru run, Emmet McMahon slotting the free.
Staying with the restarts, Shane
Doyle needed to be inch perfect with his due to the pressure applied, but overcooked his effort and it sailed over the sideline. Not easy when your target zone is so small.
Dean Healy’s efforts sent Wicklow on the attack soon after, the same man winning a free and JP Nolan dispatching a sweetly struck free from the Clare turf to leave it 0-2 to 0-1 with 15 gone and the hopes of the decent Wicklow following flickering like a flame in an unpredictable breeze.
However, Clare did seem to be able to penetrate the Wicklow rearguard that bit easier, and when Ugweru picked out Brian McNamara with a neat pass, the midfielder dropped over off the left.
While Shane Doyle was under pressure off the tee, his wicked delivery to Jack Kirwan allowed Wicklow move the ball through Chris O’Brien, Dean Healy and Eoin D’Arcy who drifted over a tasty effort to put Wicklow back in front.
Things weren’t so easy for Clare off their kick-out anymore, Kevin Quinn putting massive pressure on Einne O’Connor and robbing possession only for the ball to be lost again and the home side set off on searing attack that ended with a vital Malachy Stone block that sent the ball out for a 45 that was kicked wide, 18 gone.
JP Nolan went wide with a free moments later and from here the first half turned against Wicklow in terms of mood and decisions by Limerick referee Jonathan Hayes.
The first to suffer because of this was Dean Healy who collected a yellow card for his sins, much to his utter disbelief it has to be said, McMahon levelling matters at 0-3 apiece, 22 on the clock.
Craig Maguire was adjudged to have use a closed fist when battling for the ball and the Blessington man picked up a yellow card while McMahon sent Clare into a lead they would never relinquish again.
Clare won the next Wicklow kick-out, a free is awarded, there’s a bit of protest, free moved up, McMahon inflicts another cut.
However, up the other end soon after, JP Nolan looks to have been fouled but no whistle sounds.
Eoin Murtagh cuts out a Clare attack and Wicklow begin to probe but the move is robbed by Daniel Walsh of Clare and when Alan Sweeney picks out Cormac Murray in behind the Wicklow defence, the corner-forward slots home sweetly and the roar of the home crowd feels like sandpaper on the soul.
Dean Healy fires wide on 32 but Clare are bubbling now, Manus Doherty handpassing off the Wicklow crossbar only for Jack Kirwan to gather.
However, seconds later the ball is robbed, and Murray is drilling home low and hard to the back of the Wicklow net, 2-5 to 0-3, 33 on the clock, dreams of a morale-boosting victory in ruins.
Chris O’Brien pops over a tasty effort late on. The AGB man sensed there was more on but with little support he had to settle for a fine point off the right.
The last action of the half would see Jack Kirwan become the third Wicklow player to pick up a yellow for a needless slide in after losing the ball.
Five points on the bounce for Clare in the opening 12 minutes of the second half left it 2-10 to 0-4 and made the remainder of the game a chore to watch, JP Nolan’s effort at goal the only reason to