Tailteann Cup hopes dented

Laois condemn Wicklow to second straight defeat

WICKLOW’S Tailteann Cup hopes hang by the thinnest of threads following this terribly disappointing one-point defeat to Laois in Echelon Park Aughrim last weekend.

Currently sitting bottom of Group 3 with zero points from two games, Oisin McConville’s men will need a significant victory over Carlow in their final group game and hope other results work out in their favour if they are to progress to the quarter-final stage.

The problem for Wicklow is their chronically low scoring total of 19 points which may come back to haunt them when the final whistle sounds in Portlaoise on the June Bank Holiday weekend.

The scene in Echelon Park on Sunday was reminiscent of a hot summer’s day back in June 1986 when Laois were in town to take on Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Leinster championship. Last Sunday was an equally hot day in May ’24 and Laois were visiting again, this time to play Wicklow in round 2 of Group 3 of the Tailteann Cup competition.

The visitors had dropped a point to neighbours Carlow last day out while Wicklow had gone down heavily to Fermanagh.

Both sides made changes to their published line outs with Laois starting James Kelly instead of Dylan Kavanagh, Damon Larkin for Mikie Dempsey while Paul Kingston started instead of Niall Dunne at corner forward. For Wicklow, the man who is making waves in the world of NFL, Mark Jackson, started in goal instead Shane Doyle while Eoin D’Arcy lined out instead of midfielder Craig Maguire.

The O’Moore side gained possession at the throw-in and held on to it, probing for openings in the home sides defence for the next six minutes. Wicklow gained possession twice in that period and had no longer won that possession than they handed it back.

It took the home side six minutes to get into the scoring area in front of goal. However, it took a further four minutes for the first score of the game to come – a point for Wicklow from Jonathan Carlin after 10 minutes.

Laois responded quickly when Kevin Swayne opened the O’Moore account with a point from play.

Wicklow entered a fruitful scoring period over the following 10 minutes. Kevin Quinn pointed a free awarded for a foul on centre-forward Oisin McGraynor.

Quinn was on target again when he called for a mark following an excellently placed kick into space inside the visitor’s full-back line.

He converted the kick and Eoin D’Arcy himself made it 0-4 to 0-1 as the game entered the second quarter when he took a good pass from Carlin to shoot a score from 45 metres.

Laois full-forward Evan Carroll halted the Wicklow momentum when pointed a free after 20 minutes. The visitors lost Eoin Buggie to injury at this stage, and he was replaced by Shane Fitzpatrick after 22 minutes.

Mark Jackson, who had been off the mark with a couple of earlier frees, found the range after 23 minutes to push Wicklow 0-5 to 0-2 ahead. Another pointed free from Evan Carroll kept Laois in touch, but Wicklow should have harvested a few more points during this period.

Coming up to half-time Kevin Quinn converted another mark to leave Wicklow ahead by double scores at 0-6 to 0-3 but Laois goalkeeper Killian Burke converted a long-range free in added time to leave the home side two points to the good at half-time on a score of 0-6 to 0-4.

Wicklow would not have been flattered with another couple of scores but with the wide count at three for Wicklow in that half, they weren’t shooting either.

Laois began on the restart in a busy fashion and centre-back Brian Byrne reduced the lead to a point after two minutes.

Wicklow responded well with an Oisin McGraynor pointed free. But Laois continued to press forward. Paul Kingston brought the gap back to a point and when Mark Barry converted a difficult free off his left boot after 16 minutes it brought the sides level again.

Wicklow brought in Padraig O’Toole and Cillian McDonald for Jonathan Carlin and Darragh Fee. When Mark Jackson kicked his second point from a free the home side were ahead again.

But not for long as Rioghan Murphy levelled again. An Evan O’Carroll point from play put Laois ahead again on 20 minutes.

Then Wicklow suffered a mortal blow when Kevin Quinn received a straight red card.

Evan Carroll pointed again and when goalie Killian Burke pointed a free Laois looked to be home and dry.

However, Wicklow had introduced Mark Kenny for Oisin McGraynor, Conor Fee for Eoin D’Arcy and Joe Prendergast for Gavin Fogarty and staged a rally in the final few minutes.

Conor Fee pointed a free and when Mark Kenny shot over in the fourth minute of added time to reduce the gap to a point, Wicklow still had a chance.

And they were given that opportunity when JP Nolan took a mark about 40 metres from goal. Unfortunately, his effort drifted left and shaved the post going wide.

Laois survived and move on to play Fermanagh next weekend. Wicklow’s final encounter will be against Carlow in Portlaoise.

Killian Roche (2f); Eoin Buggie, James Kelly, Mark Timmons; Seamus Lacey, Brian Byrne (0-10, Simon Fingleton; Damon Larkin, Conor Heffernan; Mark Barry, Eoin Lowry, Kevin Swayne (0-1); Rioghan Murphy (0-1), Evan Carroll (0-4, 3f), Paul Kingston (0-1). Subs: Shaun Fitzpatrick for E. Buggie, Niall Dunne for S. Fingleton.

LAOIS:

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson (0-2f); Tom Moran, Malachy Stone, Paddy O’Kane; Matt Nolan, Eoin Murtagh, Gavin Fogarty; Dean Healy, Eoin Darcy (0-1); Darragh Fee, Oisin McGraynor (0-1f), Jack Kirwan; Jonathan Carlin (0-1), Kevin Quinn (0-3, 1f, 1m), John Paul Nolan. Subs: Padraig O’Toole for J. Carlin, Cillian McDonald for Fee, Mark Kenny (0-1), for O. McGraynor, Conor Fee (0-1) for E D’Arcy, Joe Prendergast for G Fogarty.

REFEREE: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)