Wicklow v Down. Aughrim 3pm Saturday. Live on RTE

[western exile]

I would have Wicklow as slight favourites against this ever improving Down side, though a win certainly isn't beyond us. Good to be playing football at this time of year again and with a bit of luck and a favourable draw we could be playing football in August.
Has Micko ever been part of a winning side against Down?

In the NFL Div 1 in the '80s I remember Kerry beating Down at the Marshes.  But NEVER in the championship has Micko either played or coached against Down and won.

[western exile]

The draw that Down were given in this years Ulster Championship was... to beat Fermanagh and Cavan for a place in the semi final.  Coincidently, that is the same draw that Wicklow got in the Qualifiers!  Wicklow succeeded where Down failed.
A question that a lot of Down supporters are asking themselves is..., "Had they not  tripped up in Enniskillen, would they have beaten Antrim to make the Ulster final?"  This weekend might give a clue to the answer as Wicklow are on the same level as Antrim. They both have been in the last 2 Tommy Murphy cup finals, winning one apiece. And they are both on the rise in this years Sam Maguire chase, Antrim already in the last 12 and Wicklow one game away from the last 12.
So can Down beat Wicklow, a team of Antrim standard ? 
I believe they can.

[ExiledGael]

So can Down beat Wicklow, a team of Antrim standard ? 
I believe they can.

They certainly can.
But Down need to believe that this is also a game they could very easily lose. This will be a really good test for Down and if I was over them I'd take your hand off for a 1 or 2 point win in Aughrim right now. Down need a very good performance or they'll be out, simple as that.

[Trevor Hill]

Kevin O'Brien insists hard work and not home advantage has been the key to Wicklow's march to Round 3 of the All-Ireland football qualifiers.

The Garden County are on their longest championship run since 1986 after beating Fermanagh and Cavan in Aughrim over the past two weekends, and hopes are high of further progress after they were once again handed home advantage for next Saturday's televised clash with Down.

"It isn't just the Aughrim thing, definitely not," said Wicklow selector O'Brien.

"The lads are really competitive at the moment, they're working extremely hard for each other and it's fantastic to see them getting their reward for that. They're all young lads who have definitely met the challenge."

Wicklow's only All-Star added: "Now we've got Down and you can be sure we'll give them a good welcome to Aughrim.

"The last time we played them, I think was back in the league in 1998 in Aughrim when we beat them. I was playing myself and I think Ross Carr (Down manager) was playing that day too.

"You would always be very wary of Down, they're the kind of team who can punish you in an instant in front of goals, but we've got a nice bit of momentum going now and I hope it'll continue."

[Frank Casey]

Boyles Sports have Down at even money with Wicklow at 21/20 (draw 7/1). Match has nothing in it.

I'm sure that Micko would like to repay Down for their cheek in re-inventing football in the 60's. Not that he'd bear a grudge.

[downredblack]

We were down in  Aughrim under POR 04 0R 05 and were lucky enough to get a draw that day as I remember . I don't know a whole heap about Wicklow but I heard their mid/field are small enough but lightening quick .I read in one paper that the Wickow forwards would cause plenty of problems for the "poor " Down defence , maybe they will . There was no mention of the Down full forward line of Coulter , McComiskey , Hughes , who on there day could cause problems for anyone .
Will be over in england (newcastle) for the game so hoping to find an Irish bar , was over there last year for the Wexford game ,don't want to be getting the bad news txts this year .

Up Down .

[Caid]

There was no mention of the Down full forward line of Coulter , McComiskey , Hughes , who on there day could cause problems for anyone .

Maybe that's because if you play Hughes and McComiskey as the two inside forwards you have no half forwards worth talking about which, coupled with an inept half back line, means no breaking ball will be won and no ball will be played into the FF line.

[downredblack]

All you can judge them on is their last day out , and on a night not suited to football both the half back and half forward lines did rightly . Benny going out the field looking the ball is a far better option than him waiting inside on the long punt .

[western exile]

We were down in  Aughrim under POR 04 0R 05 and were lucky enough to get a draw that day as I remember . I don't know a whole heap about Wicklow but I heard their mid/field are small enough but lightening quick .I read in one paper that the Wickow forwards would cause plenty of problems for the "poor " Down defence , maybe they will . There was no mention of the Down full forward line of Coulter , McComiskey , Hughes , who on there day could cause problems for anyone .
Will be over in england (newcastle) for the game so hoping to find an Irish bar , was over there last year for the Wexford game ,don't want to be getting the bad news txts this year .

Up Down .

you remember well. A NFL Div 2B game. I was at that game too. Hugh Kenny was the Wicklow manager at the time
http://www.downgaa.net/downgaa/photos/2004/paulburns/wicklow_nfl/wicklow.htm

[thewobbler]

Downredblack - http://www.tynesideirish.com/contact.html

The Irish Centre in Newcastle is your best bet.

[Our Nail Loney]

Deal with tough challenge and win game: Carr

By PADDY HEANEY


HAVING experienced Fermanagh's defensive system in the Ulster Championship, Down manager Ross Carr is convinced that he will face a similar challenge in Aughrim at the weekend.

Speaking ahead of Down's Round Three Qualifier game against Mick O'Dwyer's Wicklow side, Carr said: "They will play up to 12 men behind the ball. They will bring their midfielders back and they will play with just two full-forwards."

While Carr has huge respect for Mick O'Dwyer, he was quick to dismiss the idea that the blanket defence was a phenomenon of Ulster football.

The double All-Ireland medallist insisted that the forwards on Micko's legendary Kerry team often withdrew into their own half of the field.

"Pat Spillane and Ger Power and Ogie Moran and John Egan were all great footballers, but more often than not, they picked up the ball in their own defence.

"It's ludicrous to say that the blanket defence is an Ulster thing. Look at the great Dublin team as well.

"Bobby Doyle and David Hickey were great athletes. They never stopped going up and down the pitch," said Carr.

While Carr is conscious that Wicklow will defend in numbers, it hasn't escaped his attention that Micko's men have been chalking up high scores.

Despite being reduced to

13-men, the Garden County still landed 0-17 against Fermanagh. Down could only muster 10 points against the same opposition.

"They have good footballers," said Carr. "Tommy Walsh was playing with Leinster when he was with Carlow. He is a damned good footballer.

"Leighton Glynn has played for Ireland. Seanie Furlong has been a very good footballer during the past four or five years. They have good players and obviously they have the Micko factor.

"He has got the best out of any team he has managed. He gets teams playing to the best of their ability."

But Carr quickly acknowledged that if his team plays to its full potential, then he expects Down to win.

"The fact of the matter is that we are now a Division Two team and Wicklow are still a Division Four team so we should win," he said.

However, the Mourne manager also stressed that raw talent wouldn't be the deciding factor in Saturday's game.

He believes the outcome of the game would hinge on the ability of his players to cope with the partisan support they will encounter in Aughrim.

"Wicklow are always four points a better team when they play in Aughrim," said Carr.

"The fence is just few yards from the sideline and the fence is not that high so you can lean over and whisper sweet nothings.

"I would say umbrellas have been used in the past. I know for a fact that referees have had holidays in the boots of cars.

"It's going to be ferocious. Unless our fellas are ready for the ferocity of that physical and mental challenge we will not win. Ability will have nothing to do with it."

[Our Nail Loney]

Tight match: Bet365, Boyles, Ladbrokes all have Down as faves whilst Paddy Power and Will Hill have Wicklow.

[umpire]

Sunday 8th February 2004

Aughrim
NFL DIV 2B
Wicklow 1.5 Down 0.8

Wicklow team and scorers
R Hollingsworth;
C. Hyland, C. Foley, T. Burke;
A. Foley, G. Doran, C. Davis;
C.Clancy, B O hAnnaidh 0.1;
A. Ellis, T. Doyle 0.1, T Harney;
Willie O'Gorman 1.0, Trevor Gill 0.3, A. Furlong;
Subs used
L og Mooney for Harney, S. Hurley for Forlong, B. Sheenan for Davis, S.Byrne for O'Gorman and P. Dalton for Clancy.

Down team and scorers
Michael McVeigh;
Brendan Ward, Alan Molloy, Adrain Scullion;
Ronan Sexton, Sean Ward, Sean Farrell;
Brendan Coulter, Dan Gordon;
Liam Doyle 0.3, John Clarke 0.4, Colm McCrickard;
Eoin McCartan, Aidan O'Prey 0.1, Daniel Hughes;
Subs used
Michael Higgins for B.Ward,  Shane Ward for O'Prey, S. Kearney for McCartan and Martin Cole for McCrickard.

[football-4-life]

If down had john clarke, mickey walsh, marty clarke how good would down be? 

[Our Nail Loney]

Heres the IN match report umpire:

Down held again as Wicklow earn point

NFL Division 2B Round Two Wicklow 1-5 Down 0-8

From Mark Kennedy in Aughrim

09/02/04

Down recorded their second disappointing draw in succession as they came away from Aughrim with a share of the spoils from their Division 2B clash with Wicklow yesterday.

The teams were level four times over the 70 minutes and Hugh Kenny's home side led their opponents on three of those occasions.

Indeed at the final whistle, Kenny was disappointed that he had not taken both league points as he felt that they were the better of the two teams over the 70 minutes.

And Wicklow had their chances to win with Wayne O'Gorman seeing his scorcher of a shot on 52 minutes brilliantly saved at close-range by Down 'keeper Mickey McVeigh.

Two minutes later Brendan O hAnnaidh took off on a great solo run through the Down defence but put his shot wide, while in the last minute Wicklow substitute Stephen Hurley had a chance of a winner but put the ball into the side netting from the edge of the square.

In a dogged and closely fought encounter, there was no score for the last 28 minutes. Wicklow led by 1-4 to 0-6 at half-time.

Aided by the wind in the first-half, the hosts showed they meant business from the word go as Trevor Doyle pointed them ahead after just three minutes. Exchanges were tight and scrappy at times with no quarter asked or given.

In the space of a minute at the end of the first quarter, John Clarke and Liam Doyle, who was also showing well in attack for Down, pointed the Ulster side ahead.

But Wicklow still refused to be cowed by Paddy O'Rourke's side. Less than five minutes later they hit back with the game's only goal.

It was a beauty in its build-up and execution. Trevor Doyle fed a great ball to Tommy Gill on the left wing. Gill picked out substitute Liam Og Mooney in the corner,who passed the ball across the face of the goal for O'Gorman to side-foot to the corner of the net.

Wicklow were back in front, 1-1 to 0-2, after 21 minutes and while Down came back to level in the 27th minute, three smashing points by Gill – two from frees – gave Wicklow a 1-4 to 0-5 lead at the break, Liam Doyle having tacked on another point for Down in the 38th minute.

Down's star centre-forward Clarke pointed the teams level for a third time in the first minute of the second half.

O hAnnaidh restored Wicklow's lead five minutes later and the last score of the game came after just 9 minutes of the second half when full-forward Aidan O'Prey levelled the scores for a fourth and last time with his point.

In the 58th minute Down midfielder Brendan Coulter was provided with an opening but his attempt to sneak a goal was thwarted by an alert Wicklow keeper Robert Hollingsworth.

Down would have expected more than a draw from this match, especially after being held by Tipperary last week, but Wicklow deserved no less than a share of the points from their performance.