Wicklow Vs. Carlow

Ian_K

Sunday, 3.30 Portlaoise

How do ye see this one going lads?, I'm a Wicklow man myself but will be backing Carlow heavily.
Wouldnt be expecting a whole lot from Micko's men this year, we'll be lucky to winn this one imo.

Cypher_sounds

Im a Carlow man, doesnt look good for Wicklow if you are ''heavily backing'' us, I think we will win if we stay disciplined and not have anyone sent off, been some stupid sending offs in the league which really cost us badly.
I hear Wicklow are down one or to good players for sunday

Stevecw

This will be some game. There is a huge rivalry after developing over last 3 years due mainly to the Thomas Walsh affair.

Great that he is back with his native county, its so funny that his 1st championship game back happens to be v his teammates from last couple of years!!!

Carlow will dominate at midfield with Walsh and especially due to Brendan Murphy who at 20 is unknown to most, but has to be one of the best midfielders around.
Our biggest worry is lacking more than 1 scoring forward. We are missing our main free taker and also our full forward for this game due to injury.
Then again Wicklow are missing Hyland who was probably the best corner back in the AI series last year.

At 3/1 I think we are a great bet. I really expect us to win on Sunday, and have put €50 on us yesterday when we were still 7/2.

irishturkey

Could go either way methinks. I wouldn't be so quick writing Wicklow off. They've got the cutest fecker in the country in charge

aidan24326

I'm surprised at the pessimism of the Wicklow lads. What has gone so wrong since last year? With all due respect to the Carlow posters this isn't a good Carlow team, and if Wicklow lose this one Micko may retire and go off and enjoy his pension years.

hardybuck

I saw Wicklow earlier in the year when they were hammered by Waterford. I think the difference was 9 points in the end, but in truth Waterford were only toying with them in the end-they could have won by 15+ points easily enough.

What was glaringly obvious was that Wicklow have three key issues.

1) Very weak in midfield. With Walsh going back to Carlow they are a lot weaker in this area, with no replacement arriving on the scene for them yet. Carlow also have the lad Murphy, who if fit looks a good prospect. Stafford looked well off the pace earlier in the year also.

2) Very, very small team. This isn't a new thing for Wicklow either. I know that Waterford and other teams from Munster are traditionally quite robust sides, but the Wicklow lads looked like an underage team playing seniors.

3) Poor squad. Last year they hardly brought on any subs in the entire championship, until they were forced to due to injuries in the game against Westmeath, which actually was a blessing as the guys introduced did well. However, this trend has continued, and the squad looks very short in quality. An example of this is the last minute return of Dara O'hAnnaidh, who is abroad, and whos pace looks to be gone.

GAA_PUNTER

Leinster SFC first round
Wicklow v Carlow, Portlaoise, 3.30pm
Referee: Gearoid O Conamha

Micko’s Wicklow team were probably the surprise packet of last year’s championship, finishing in the top 12 in the country and they were very unfortunate not to beat Kildare in the fourth round of the qualifiers to reach the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Carlow are an up and coming team and have the potential to cause a big surprise somewhere along the line although Wicklow might just have experience and know how to find a way through on Sunday.

The Garden County will be missing key defenders Ciaran Hyland and Shane Power while forwards Dean Odlum and Paul Earls will face late fitness tests.

For Carlow, forwards Daniel St Ledger and JJ Smith will miss out through injury and both Eric McCormack and Shane Redmond will have to assessed closer to throw in time.

Verdict: Wicklow

dahayeser

It's not on TV but I heard somewhere that it will be streamed live on RTE.ie. Can anyone confirm?

Cypher_sounds

dahayeser wrote: »

It's not on TV but I heard somewhere that it will be streamed live on RTE.ie. Can anyone confirm?

This will confirm it for you http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/mediaplayer.html

comeraghs

Ciaran Hyland is a fantastic corner back ... big loss for WW ...

I think Micko put less than no effort into the league this year ... WW to win by a few points

MementoMori

Wicklow starting well 2points to nil up.

MementoMori

Carlow coming back into it. After Wicklow went 3 up Carlow scored 3 to draw level.

MementoMori

Wicklow score from a free to make it 4 to 3 even though Carlow have had the best of it the last while.

MementoMori

4-4 Carlow free

Wicklow score a point from an effort that could easily have been a goal to make it 5 to 4.

MementoMori

Wicklow goal

MementoMori

Carlow point

MementoMori

Wicklow no 12 sent off

MementoMori

Wicklow 1-6 to Carlow 6 HT with Wicklow down to 14

spongeman

Was at it. Im from Wicklow.

1) None of Carlow's forwards scored.

2) McWalter got a yellow for a dive by a Carlow player. He had actually dislocated his shoulder when he was booked.

3) Travers was booked for not putting his tee back behind the goal.

4) Murphy should never have walked. The other two got 2nd yellows for backchat.

thesultan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rfKnIHuxbk

Wicklow played well but from what I saw Carlows defence was to shaky and the referee again was a disgrace. The first Wicklow sending off wasn't even a free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xSVOmNsZ7Y

Stevecw

That had to be as bad as I have felt coming out of a game in a long time. Really expected us to run them very close yesterday at worst. Instead ending up with a 10 point defeat is hard to take.
Especially after we were the better side in the first half but wasted so many chances. Kicking 8 or 9 wides in first 25 minutes or so was a killer.
As for the second half display it was just shocking. We just fell apart even with an extra man. The 1st few mins of the 2nd half decided this one, we had 2 great goal chances, but Travers the Wicklow keeper pulled off 2 great saves...then we hit the post following up the 2nd save.
A few mins later Glynn scored Wicklows 2nd goal and we had our best player Brendan Murphy sent off. Ref could have blown it up then as there was no way back.
Just when it seemed like it couldn't get any worse Thomas Walsh who was the big story leading up to the game for obvious reasons got sent off too.
He played very badly and was wrecked a few mins into 2nd half...I guess thats what switching counties and always avoiding league football does to you. His return probably made us worse, as we could have done with a fitter true Carlowman who would never turn his back on his county in the no 9 shirt yesterday.

Gonna be hard to see us doing anything in qualifiers as our 1 class act Murphy is suspended for the 1st round...so unless we draw London or maybe loser of Louth/Longford or Clare/Waterford at home its hard to see us go any further.

spongeman

Steve ye had so many kickable chances in the first half.....I was shocked that we were ahead at half time.

Brendan Murphy is a fine player though. He got a ridiculous red card.

Waterford would be tricky away....they hammered Wicklow in the league.

Cypher_sounds

Spongeman1 wrote: »

Was at it. Im from Wicklow.

1) None of Carlow's forwards scored.

2) McWalter got a yellow for a dive by a Carlow player. He had actually dislocated his shoulder when he was booked.

3) Travers was booked for not putting his tee back behind the goal.

4) Murphy should never have walked. The other two got 2nd yellows for backchat.

1) Simon Rea is a forward he scored

2) McWalter didnt dislocate his shoulder, he broke his kneecap, carlow player didn't dive, McWalter put his arm out which stopped Murphy from advancing towards goal.

3) Is true

4) Wow correct again Murphy got sent off for questioning the goal, a unbelievable decision which rules him out for the next match after all the training he has done since January, thats how he is treated.