ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFIER ROUND THREE Wicklow 1-15 Down 0-17: TONY HANNON sits down off camera to guzzle some fluids having just received the man-of-the-match award on live TV. Moments earlier, the Wicklow centre forward made the best connection of his life; a 45 stroked into the wind that faded back between the Aughrim uprights.
With 74 minutes on the clock, referee Gearóid Ó Conamha had seen enough. Pandemonium duly ensues with Mick O’Dwyer saluting the crowd like it was his first All-Ireland for Kerry way back in 1959.
Every summer, the GAA championship provides a feel-good story. After many dark years it is Wicklow’s turn to make the last 12 of the All-Ireland series, amazing, considering their ranking as the worst competitive team on the island in 2006.
As Hannon caught his breath, a step away, under the RTÉ spotlight, the 73-year-old O’Dwyer eulogises his free-taker, telling all how he missed a 45 against Westmeath that ultimately cost them a run in the Leinster championship.
Luck has interceded since with Fermanagh, Cavan and now Down defeated after fruitless visits to the picturesque valley of Aughrim.
Wicklow stumbled and so nearly fell at the last hurdle.
Defending a four-point lead, they pulled 13 men behind the ball, inviting the red tide forward, and tried to counter-punch their way into round four.
Down’s best player Benny Coulter, clearly not recovered from recent ankle and hamstring problems, kicked the crucial equalising point on 65 minutes when the momentum looked certain to overrun Wicklow. Too many errors ensued. Conor Garvey hit a wide before Ambrose Rogers miscued a free as three minutes injury-time began.
Then Ciarán McGovern instinctively bounced off Wicklow full back Dara Ó hAnnaidh to win an unjustified free. Aiden Carr stepped up, but he missed the target. Wicklow took a deep breath and returned fire. Dylan Hayden, Seánie Furlong and the inspirational Leighton Glynn combined to set up James Stafford. The midfielder should have punched over the bar as his shot was blocked by alert Down goalkeeper Brendan McVeigh.
One kick for the game – Hannon’s 45 making the alleged “weaker county” strong. The shell-shocked Down manager Ross Carr, who will seek a fourth year in charge, felt the best team lost.
“We just feel on immediate reflection we had enough chances to win it and we just didn’t win it.
“If you took our actual attempts out of it, on the balance of general play I feel we played well enough. . . . The work rate, the effort. There are always mistakes in football. I felt we were the better team. We just didn’t win.”
Eleven different scorers usually yields victory, but Down employed an overly-elaborate passing game while captain Dan Gordon stayed on the pitch but for 70 minutes but his effectiveness was restricted by a bad fall early in the second half.
Did O’Dwyer ever imagine on those five-hour winter road treks from south Kerry that Wicklow could make such an imprint on summer football?
“Well, I knew we’d do reasonably well. I didn’t think we would be going as long in the championship. I’ve come here to build a team for Wicklow. I’m here for people who have interest in the game in Wicklow. I think it is getting through to the young people and now they want to play Gaelic football in Wicklow. That’s what it’s all about.”
Glynn posted an early 1-2 that composed his team after Down took an all-too-easy lead. Hannon also made two timely scoring interventions from play while sharing an effective free-taking return with Furlong.
“I just think it is the belief in the squad since Micko came in,” said Glynn. “We have beaten some of the top teams in the country over the last three years and we have that belief coming into the last five, 10 minutes of games. We know we can get the scores when they are needed.”
Remarkably, the last three victories have been achieved without a single substitution, although the loss of five players to injury since June means options are fairly thin on the ground. “No, we don’t bother using subs,” smiled O’Dwyer. “That’s the new game.”
Fifteen warriors.
Old rules abide apparently.
WICKLOW: 1 M Travers; 2 C Hyland, 3 D Ó hAnnaidh, 4 S Kelly; 5 P McWalter, 6 B McGrath, 7 D Hayden; 8 J Stafford, 9 T Walsh; 10 L Glynn (1-3), 11 T Hannon (0-6, three frees, 45), 12 JP Dalton (0-1); 13 D Odlum (0-1), 14 S Furlong (0-4, three frees),15 P Earls.
DOWN: 1 B McVeigh; 2 C McGovern (0-1), 3 K McKiernan, 4 D Rafferty; 7 C Garvey (0-1), 6 P Murphy, 5 T Hanna (0-1); 8 D Gordon (0-1, capt), 9 S Kearney; 10 A Rogers (0-2, free), 11 C Maginn, 12 B McArdle (0-1, free); '3 B Coulter (0-1), 14 P McCumiskey (0-4, two frees), 15 D Hughes (0-3). Subs: 22 A Carr for T Hanna (19 mins), 29 R Sexton (0-1)for B McArdle (half-time), R Murtagh (0-1)for C Maginn (56 mins), 28 J Fegan for S Kearney (62 mins), 25 J Boyle for P Murphy (65 mins). Yellow cards: S Kearney (47 mins), C Garvey (59 mins).
Referee: G Ó Conamha(Galway).
