Wicklow will play Division 3 football in 2013 after a dramatic and memorable afternoon in a packed Aughrim yesterday, writes Shane Ferguson.
Clare travelled up knowing a draw would be enough to see them promoted, while the Garden County’s target was black and white.
Win the game, and promotion was theirs.
Wicklow got off to the best possible start when Darren Hayden burst through on goal and dispatched a powerful shot past Clare Keeper Hayes after only 60 seconds. The Eire Og man, continuing his impressive form shown throughout the league. Wicklow stretched their lead a minute later when Leighton Glynn raised a white flag with a composed finish.
The start stunned the Banner County and it would take them a while to settle. But everyone in Aughrim knew that this game was going to go the distance and the start was just that – a start.
Clare eventually settled and the ever dangerous Tubridy notched up their first score on 7 minutes.
Harry’s men replied with two more points, one from Seanie and another from Hayden who tore up the ground beneath him to close in on the goal, but went for the point instead of risking not getting anything and going for the three.
The first quarter of the game demonstrated the precision of Wicklow’s shooting against the wides that were gathering up for a Clare side with the wind to their backs.
In any game, no matter who may be on top, each side gets a spell. And Clare notched four points without reply midway through the first half thanks to the boots of Tubridy and Kelly to reduce the gap to the minimum.
Wicklow rallied and closed out the half impressively. First off, with one of the days many impressive frees from Tony Hannon before an outstanding Dean Healy raised two white flags. Hayden again made the most of his pace to create room to leave the gap at 1-08 to 0-06 at the interval.
The break done nothing to calm the nerves. Wicklow were 35 minutes from promotion and you could cut the tension in Aughrim with a butter knife.
Wicklow were first out and were left waiting a couple of minutes for a Clare side who were no doubt being told that it was now or never.
Wicklow would be first to make a mark on the scoreboard, with Tony Hannon dispatching a free with ease. Clare’s 14, Tubridy cancelled that out with an impressive free from out wide.
The gap was 5 points and Clare would be reduced to 14 men when Shane McNeilies was shown a harsh second yellow and sent to the line. But the deficit in numbers didn’t seem to hold Clare back.
The two teams cancelled each other out with a point each before Rory Donnelly capitalised on a mistake in defence to coolly slide the ball past John Flynn.
The Munster side were back in it. And with 2 points between them, the edge of every seat in the ground got occupied.
Tubridy raised another white flag in between two frees from Hannon. But Clare starting chipping away and soon they would be two down.
Then a point.
And then level. With a draw being all they needed to secure promotion and a league final against Fermanagh.
The final ten minutes will live long in the memory, not just for the pressure that was impressed on the auld heart, but for the realisation that this group of players were stepping up where previously heads might have dropped.
In Any Given Sunday, Al Pacino’s Tony D’Amato reeled of a passionate speech to his players about the importance of the occasion and the importance of the battle telling them “…on this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the (sic) difference between winning and losing…”
In the last five minutes, Wicklow done just that. They fought that little bit harder and ran that little bit faster. A testament to the fitness of the squad.
But the inch was the fingertips of Alan Byrne, as three Clare men charged down John Flynn’s goal knowing if they got to the ball before Byrne, a goal would follow and the game would be done. But that little touch knocked the ball just enough that it could be brought to safety.
The introduction of Bruiser Byrne resulted in the Rathnew man catching 3 vital balls in defence. His fellow villager Stafford won everything that went near him. Tony Hannon reeled in memories of the pressure cooker against Down to dispatch two frees over the bar before International Rules star Leighton Glynn stretched Wicklow’s lead to 3 points.
The moment that the Garden County had dreamt about for so long, but dared not think about for fear of disappointment, was becoming a reality. People edged closer to the fence. Shouted louder than ever. They started to believe.
And when the final whistle went, a wave of joy and relief shot through the stands as the heroes in the Wicklow jerseys raised their arms and dropped to their knees.
Promoted.
Harry and his team targeted this moment. And boy did they deliver.
We don’t want to single just one player out, as the panel have been incredible this year, however, special mention has to go to Tony Hannon. His return in scores in 2012 has been vital in putting us in the position we are in. But when it comes to stepping up and taking points from frees under tremendous pressure, he has shown time and time again the bottle he has. When the game was level, and the clock was running down, Hannon pointed twice. Points we needed. Points that 4,000 Wicklow fans watching him in the stands knew were too vital not to get.
And the man stepped up and took them. Undoubted Man of the Match among a team that played and fought out of their skin.
For Harry Murphy and his management team, congratulations. To step into the sizable shoes left by Mick O’Dwyer took courage. But to step into them and do in his first year what Micko couldn’t achieve in five, well, if anyone had any doubts about the Rathnew man’s credentials before yesterday, you’d be a fool to still hold that view now.
Let’s enjoy this moment. Let’s look forward to Fermanagh in Croke Park and bask in the pride that these players have given the County. Tougher challenges lie ahead, no doubt about that, but this side has shown that they can rise up against them and do a job when it matters.
You done your County proud, you done yourselves proud.
You have given a memory to all those in Aughrim yesterday, one that will stay with them for a hell of a long time.
SCORERS — Wicklow: T Hannon 0-7 (6f), D Hayden 1-1, D Healy, L Glynn, S Furlong (1f) 0-2 each, J McGrath 0-1; Clare: D Tubridy 0-7 (6f), R Donnelly 1-1, S McGrath 0-2, G Brennan, S Brennan 0-1 each.
WICKLOW — J Flynn 8; C Hyland 6, A McLoughlin 6, A Byrne 7; D Healy 8, M McLoughlin 6, S Kelly 7; J Stafford 6, R Finn 7; L Glynn 6, D O’Sullivan 7, D Hayden 8; T Hannon 8, S Furlong 8, J McGrath 8. Subs: S Byrne for McLoughlin (64), A O’Malley for McGrath (68).
CLARE — J Hayes 6; B Hartnett 6, S McNeilies 6, L Healy 7; M McMahon 6, G Kelly 6, J Hayes 7; G Brennan 8, G Quinlan 7; G Kelly 6, S McGrath 7, A Clohessy 6; R Donnelly 7, D Tubridy 8, N Browne 6. Subs: C Kelly 7 for Kelly (h-t), S Brennan 7 for Browne (h-t), S Haugh 6 for Hartnett (h-t), D Russell 7 for Brennan (48).
REF — C Lane (Cork)
