To meet the Dubs!
Furlong by punching the ball back across the danger zone. Healy gathered, fell, got back up, turned sharply and drove low and hard but Mulhall showed rapid reflexes to get down low and push it out for a 45 which Jackson drove over to make it 0-3 to 0-3 after 17.
Wicklow couldn’t creep ahead at any stage in the 70 minutes of normal time. Bernard Allen pushed Offaly ahead again on 18 minutes and we then witnessed eight min- utes of woeful football as mistake followed mistake on both sides.
John McGrath put a stop to that forgettable period with an absolute bomb of a point off his left on 26 to level matters once more, just prior to Nigel Dunne being replaced by Shane Tierney much to everyone’s puzzlement.
James Stafford blazed a difficult goal chance across the face of Alan Mulhall’s goal moments later and then Anton Sullivan shrugged off a Wicklow challenge and drove home past Jackson for the game’s opening goal on 29 minutes. Same old, same old you might have thought.
Cian Donohue added another for the Faithful side before Seanie Furlong brought the first half to a close with a pointed free to leave it 1-5 to 0-5 at the break. Wicklow also chalked up a number of wides and Darren Hayden saw his goal bound shot blocked superbly in the latter stages of the first half, so all was not lost going into the second half.
A bright start saw Wicklow take the game to Offaly and points from Seanie Furlong from a free and John Crowe from play were answered by Offaly’s Bernard Allen before Shane Tierney pushed Offaly back out to a three-point lead with 45 on the clock.
There were one or two hairy moments at the back for Wicklow around this time. A shot for a point came off both uprights and landed dangerously close to Mark Jackson’s goal but Eoin Murtagh, in for Ciaran Hyland who was having trouble with a boot, dealt with the danger superbly and Wicklow broke up the field only for Seanie Furlong to be blown for overcarrying after selling a heap of dummies like a salesman on good commission in the Offaly square.
Shane Tierney returned the sides to a three-point gap with a tasty effort before Darren Hayden and John McGrath reduced it to the minimum yet again. John Evans sent in Conor Healy for John Crowe. The Donard-The glen man would have a massive impact on this game.
Another key move for the Wicklow men was the switching of Dean Healy and Kevin Murphy.
Murphy proved useful in defence while Healy gave Wicklow some real ball carrying ability further out the field.
It was Healy who won the free which Seanie Furlong drove high into the clouds and was waved wide much to the Kiltegan man’s and everybody else’s chagrin. Healy also swung over a fine point with 55 on the clock to leave just one between the teams at 1-8 to 0-10.
A Seanie Furlong point from a free was answered by Mulhall’s converted 45 after Jackson’s fine penalty and then the Baltinglass man took the game by the scruff of the neck by scoring Wicklow’s next three scores to ensure the game would go to extra-time.
Wicklow led for the first time in the opening moments of extra-time when Mark Kenny fired over. Offaly levelled through Gerry Spollen but Wicklow had the belief and the fitness and you could see it starting to take effect all over the field.
Furlong, a Jackson free, another Jackson free and all of a sudden it was 0-18 to 1-12 for Wicklow. Niall Darby hit back from a free, but Furlong added another of his own at the end of the first half of extra-time to leave Wicklow ahead by 0-19 to 1-13.
And then the power of youth came to the fore. A fine kick-out from Jackson was gathered by Theo Smyth near the sideline leaving the Rathnew man with plenty of work to do.
Under serious pressure het gets the ball away to Ross O’Brien who shows lovely feet and swiveling hips to dance his way out of danger. O’Brien finds an outlet in Darragh Fitzgerald as Offaly swarm around looking to dispossess.
Fitzgerald hands off to Bray’s Cathal Magee who finds Kevin Murphy. The Baltinglass man makes hard yards and picks out Magee who has followed in support. Magee sends it on to Darragh Fitzgerald on the 45. Surely not. Off goes the AGB man. Sells a bit of a dummy and cuts inside, spots a gap and goes for it like a hare escaping the attentions of two weary hounds. On he sprints into the Offaly heartland and he confidently and magnificently slips the ball beneath Mulhall and the roar that goes up around O’Moore Park would stand the hairs up on the back of your neck. Offaly rally with two points but Cathal Magee’s fisted effort brings the curtains down on a wonderful Wicklow win at 1-20 to 1-15.
Youth mixed with experience, blended with hunger, drizzled with ability and dusted with belief were the key ingredients in this win. The performance of Mark Jackson will steal the headlines but to overlook Ciaran Hyland’s defensive cleverness, Ross O’Brien’s immense impact, Paul Merrigan’s perseverance and willingness, Saoirse Kearon’s savage engine and link play, Dean Healy’s doggedness, John Crowe’s excellent effort, Kevin Murphy’s steely determination, Darren Hayden’s huge work rate, Theo Smyth’s selflessness, Seanie Furlong’s commitment, John McGrath’s class, and Mark Kenny’s endless effort and excellent attitude would be a crime.
Add to that the massive contribution from Dunlavin’s Eoin Murtagh who cleared plenty of ball and had the winning of the game in his hands at the death of normal time after a barnstorming run up the field, the mighty showing from Cathal Magee, David Boothman’s engine and Darragh Fitzgerald’s unforgettable goal but, and equally as important perhaps, his brave block in the middle of the field at a key moment in the game, and you have the secret to this great victory.
The Dubs will be an altogether different proposition but the most important thing for Wicklow GAA supporters is that after a hor- rendously barren period for the county footballers they seem to be firmly on the road to recovery with plenty of bright lights of hope to carry them onwards and upwards on their journey from here.
- Wicklow: Mark Jackson 0-7 (5f, 2 ‘45s), Seanie Furlong 0-5f, Darragh Fitzgerald 1-0, John McGrath and Mark Kenny 0-2 each, Darren Hayden (f), John Crowe, Dean Healy, Cathal Magee 0-1 each.
Offaly: Anton Sullivan 1-2 (0-1f), Bernard Allen 0-3, Alan Mulhall (2f), Shane Tierney and Niall Darby (2f) 0-2 each, Nigel Dunne, Cian Donohue, Jordan Hayes, Gerry Spollen 0-1 each.
Mark Jackson; Ciaran Hyland, Jamie Snell, Paul Merrigan; John Crowe, Dean Healy, Saoirse Kearon; Rory Finn, James Stafford; Kevin Murphy, Darren Hayden, Theo Smyth; Seanie Furlong, John McGrath, Mark Kenny. Subs: Cathal Magee for Furlong (blood 11min), Furlong for Magee (12min), Ross O’Brien for Snell (inj, 27min), Eoin Murtagh for Hyland (blood 43min), Hyland for Murtagh (44min) Conor Healy for Crowe (48min), Cathal Magee for Stafford (54min), Darragh Fitzgerald for McGrath (67min), Eoin Murtagh for P Merrigan (inj, 72min), David Boothman for Finn (72 extra time), Rory Finn for Smyth (inj, 84), John Crowe for Hayden (91).
Alan Mulhall; Niall Darby, Declan Hogan, Paul McConway; David Dempsey, Sean Pender, Cian Donohue; Craig Dunne, Conor Carroll; Michael Brazil, Conor McNamee, Ruairi McNamee; Bernard Allen, Nigel Dunne, Anton Sullivan. Subs: Shane Tierney for N Dunne (28min), Gerry Spollen for S Pender (40min), Nigel Dunne for Carroll (53min), Jordan Hayes for R McNamee (54min), James Lalor for M Brazil (56min), Anthony Cunningham for C Donoghue (79 extra time), Michael Brazil for C McNamee and Seán Doyle for Tierney (both half-time extra time).
J Henry (Mayo).
Scorers Wicklow: Offaly: Referee: