WICKLOW came ever so close to dethroning the holders DCU in the opening round
of the O'byrne Cup in a match played in poor conditions at Baltinglass on
Sunday.
While the students led for most of the way in this game, Wicklow missed a number of scoring chances, none more costly than two late frees that would have given them victory had they been converted.
The 'Rock' on which Wicklow's hopes perished just happened to be a son of the great Barney of Dublin fame. He finished up with a grand total of eight points from a variety of frees and play.
On the day Wicklow had no one capable of matching Dean Rock, at least on dead ball kicking.
After a very poor start in which they went six points down at one stage, Wicklow rallied strongly to come right back into this game, got level at 1-06 to 0-09 at one stage and even went a point ahead but the College men had plenty in the tank and pulled away again to lead by 0-13 to 1-07 at half time.
New captain Cathal Rossiter won the toss and opted to play against the wind, whether that was his own choice or made by the management, we don't know.
Early on it appeared to be the wrong choice but by half time it looked likely to pay off as Wicklow were only three points down, had the wind in their backs and were a man up.
The students had lost Tony Macpadden to a straight red card in the first half. However, we had not reckoned with the fact that the students would prove to have an edge in fitness in the second half and that plus Rock's immaculate free taking proved to be enough to see them through in the end.
In a very competitive match for this time of year, Kildare referee Fergal Barry had his hands full but was always in complete control. Every referee has his own particular dislikes and the push in the back was this man's speciality. Wicklow, with a very small full back line, paid the penalty in the first half and conceded a lot of frees for that very offence.
However in the second half the boot was on the other foot and Wicklow reaped the benefit, albeit to a somewhat lesser extent. DCU were reduced to 13 men late in the game when their number seven, Jonathan Cooper walked on a second yellow. In fact Barry issued no less than 12 yellow cards in all, seven to DCU and five to Wicklow.
DCU were on fire from the word go. David Kelly, Jack Brady, Dean Rock (two from frees) and Cooper had them five points up inside of ten minutes. Wicklow came more into the game after that but did not get their first point until the 13th minute when local lad Joey Kelly sent over a point.
Tony Hannon pointed his first free for a foul on Austin O'malley in the 15th minute but Brady and Rock pushed the College further in front. Wicklow hit their best patch in the last 15 minutes. Joey Kelly pointed a free, Seanie Furlong was brought down in front of goal and pointed the free himself and in the 28th minute came the high point of this match. Austin O'malley floated in a high ball, it may have been intended for a point but the wind caught it and brought it down. Seanie Furlong out jumped the full back and the goalkeeper to one hand the ball into the path of Joey Kelly who smashed it to an empty net.
A minute later Furlong won another free and Hannon sent it between the posts to bring the sides level. On 31 minutes Seanie Furlong put the home side in front for the first and only time in the match but DCU finished strongly with three more points to go in leading by 0-13 to 1-7 at half time.
While Wicklow appeared to be holding all the advantages going into the second half, this was a fiercely competitive game and every score had to be won the hard way.
Points by Seanie Furlong, sub Billy Cullen and Adam Merriman all brought quick replies from the DCU forwards - notably Rock frees.
Wicklow piled on tremendous pressure in the last quarter. Furlong set up Nicky Mernagh for a point, then he pointed a free himself. O'malley did the spade work for another Mernagh point and then came in to finish the best point of the match as the game ticked into injury time.
James Stafford ploughed through the middle, gave the ball to Furlong whose reverse pass found O'malley. However it was to prove the last score of the match and the students held on for a narrow but sweet victory.
In that period of supremacy Wicklow missed two kickable frees - the first by Seanie Furlong from a distance but then O'malley missed a real sitter from in front of the posts (at that stage Wicklow had taken off their ace free taker Tony Hannon).
James Stafford and Rory Finn of the regulars had big games while a number of the newcomers, notably Adam Merriman and Niall Gaffney were quiet impressive but we may also see more of players like Jason Bolger, Joey Kelly and Paddy Byrne. Goalie John Flynn looked as confident as ever and made one absolutely brilliant save in the second half when completely
exposed.
New manager Harry Murphy was happy enough with the display that is, shooting apart.
Had winning been at the top of his agenda in this match he could have achieved that by springing Leighton Glynn from the subs at any stage in the second half or bringing on players like Ciaran Hyland or Paddy Dalton.
However this was his first chance to experiment and he stuck with it to the end. Anyway he still has another match in the Shield competition and that will be at home to Athlone IT on Sunday next.
In all he had 32 players togged out but according to county chairman Mick Hagan they were still short of nine of what he would reckon to be Wicklow's first 15.
Scorers: DCU: Dean Rock 0-8; Jonathan Cooper and Jack Brady 0-3 each; David Kelly 0-2; Gary Sweeney and Eoghan O'gara 0-1 each.
Wicklow: Joey Kelly 1-2; Seanie Furlong 0-5; Tony Hannon and Nicky Mernagh 0-2 each; Billy Cullen, Adam Merriman and Austin O'malley 0-1.
While the students led for most of the way in this game, Wicklow missed a number of scoring chances, none more costly than two late frees that would have given them victory had they been converted.
The 'Rock' on which Wicklow's hopes perished just happened to be a son of the great Barney of Dublin fame. He finished up with a grand total of eight points from a variety of frees and play.
On the day Wicklow had no one capable of matching Dean Rock, at least on dead ball kicking.
After a very poor start in which they went six points down at one stage, Wicklow rallied strongly to come right back into this game, got level at 1-06 to 0-09 at one stage and even went a point ahead but the College men had plenty in the tank and pulled away again to lead by 0-13 to 1-07 at half time.
New captain Cathal Rossiter won the toss and opted to play against the wind, whether that was his own choice or made by the management, we don't know.
Early on it appeared to be the wrong choice but by half time it looked likely to pay off as Wicklow were only three points down, had the wind in their backs and were a man up.
The students had lost Tony Macpadden to a straight red card in the first half. However, we had not reckoned with the fact that the students would prove to have an edge in fitness in the second half and that plus Rock's immaculate free taking proved to be enough to see them through in the end.
In a very competitive match for this time of year, Kildare referee Fergal Barry had his hands full but was always in complete control. Every referee has his own particular dislikes and the push in the back was this man's speciality. Wicklow, with a very small full back line, paid the penalty in the first half and conceded a lot of frees for that very offence.
However in the second half the boot was on the other foot and Wicklow reaped the benefit, albeit to a somewhat lesser extent. DCU were reduced to 13 men late in the game when their number seven, Jonathan Cooper walked on a second yellow. In fact Barry issued no less than 12 yellow cards in all, seven to DCU and five to Wicklow.
DCU were on fire from the word go. David Kelly, Jack Brady, Dean Rock (two from frees) and Cooper had them five points up inside of ten minutes. Wicklow came more into the game after that but did not get their first point until the 13th minute when local lad Joey Kelly sent over a point.
Tony Hannon pointed his first free for a foul on Austin O'malley in the 15th minute but Brady and Rock pushed the College further in front. Wicklow hit their best patch in the last 15 minutes. Joey Kelly pointed a free, Seanie Furlong was brought down in front of goal and pointed the free himself and in the 28th minute came the high point of this match. Austin O'malley floated in a high ball, it may have been intended for a point but the wind caught it and brought it down. Seanie Furlong out jumped the full back and the goalkeeper to one hand the ball into the path of Joey Kelly who smashed it to an empty net.
A minute later Furlong won another free and Hannon sent it between the posts to bring the sides level. On 31 minutes Seanie Furlong put the home side in front for the first and only time in the match but DCU finished strongly with three more points to go in leading by 0-13 to 1-7 at half time.
While Wicklow appeared to be holding all the advantages going into the second half, this was a fiercely competitive game and every score had to be won the hard way.
Points by Seanie Furlong, sub Billy Cullen and Adam Merriman all brought quick replies from the DCU forwards - notably Rock frees.
Wicklow piled on tremendous pressure in the last quarter. Furlong set up Nicky Mernagh for a point, then he pointed a free himself. O'malley did the spade work for another Mernagh point and then came in to finish the best point of the match as the game ticked into injury time.
James Stafford ploughed through the middle, gave the ball to Furlong whose reverse pass found O'malley. However it was to prove the last score of the match and the students held on for a narrow but sweet victory.
In that period of supremacy Wicklow missed two kickable frees - the first by Seanie Furlong from a distance but then O'malley missed a real sitter from in front of the posts (at that stage Wicklow had taken off their ace free taker Tony Hannon).
James Stafford and Rory Finn of the regulars had big games while a number of the newcomers, notably Adam Merriman and Niall Gaffney were quiet impressive but we may also see more of players like Jason Bolger, Joey Kelly and Paddy Byrne. Goalie John Flynn looked as confident as ever and made one absolutely brilliant save in the second half when completely
exposed.
New manager Harry Murphy was happy enough with the display that is, shooting apart.
Had winning been at the top of his agenda in this match he could have achieved that by springing Leighton Glynn from the subs at any stage in the second half or bringing on players like Ciaran Hyland or Paddy Dalton.
However this was his first chance to experiment and he stuck with it to the end. Anyway he still has another match in the Shield competition and that will be at home to Athlone IT on Sunday next.
In all he had 32 players togged out but according to county chairman Mick Hagan they were still short of nine of what he would reckon to be Wicklow's first 15.
Scorers: DCU: Dean Rock 0-8; Jonathan Cooper and Jack Brady 0-3 each; David Kelly 0-2; Gary Sweeney and Eoghan O'gara 0-1 each.
Wicklow: Joey Kelly 1-2; Seanie Furlong 0-5; Tony Hannon and Nicky Mernagh 0-2 each; Billy Cullen, Adam Merriman and Austin O'malley 0-1.
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