wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2039 - 19/10/2023 19:30:22    2509319

FrankieJoe (Wicklow) - Posts: 87 - 20/10/2023 07:32:59    2509339

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2039 - 20/10/2023 14:03:17    2509451

Predictions: looking at fixtures online

Senior: Rathnew vs Blessington - rathnew for me know now to win, comebacks in last two matches never give in. Weather may suit them

Intermediate: Annacurra vs Barndarrig - Annacurra back in senior but it'll be close. Scrappy game if weather persists

Junior A: baltinglass/ballinacor v sheillagh coolboy - Baltinglass if it ever gets concluded.

Junior B: An Tochar vs Tinahely - An Tochar at a guess.

Minor: An Tochar vs Tomnafigoue - Like to see An Tochar. Never like these combined teams if a club can make a team ( as per one of my first posts on here). Tomnafigoue allowed two minor teams even though they are merged with a number of teams. Wicklow county board has made a dangerous precedent here.

StrandedinWW (Wicklow) - Posts: 42 - 20/10/2023 18:13:14    2509509

Well personally I seen him 7 or 8 times at matches maybe this negativity is why we are where we are. we had our most successful season in about 20 years and now we need to build on it but of course our reaction is to pick on the manager. we have someone to take us in the right direction at last and the best person but we chose to pick holes. Sad and Pathetic

nocrap (Wicklow) - Posts: 1 - 21/10/2023 02:54:48    2509531

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2039 - 21/10/2023 12:55:35    2509551

A big test awaits Blessington today. On paper they have better individual players especially in the forwards than Rathnew. What is so interesting about today's final is the contrast between a spirited, never say die tough mentality against superior individual talent and witnessing which side wins out. Hopefully the weather will stay fine and we will see a great game.

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2039 - 22/10/2023 10:44:12    2509615

Farcical scenes in Aughrim today for what is meant to be the showcase for football in the county. A very poor game with a low standard of football defined by individual mistakes.
A match official manhandled and all the referee does is overturn his decision.
A drawn game with the announcement of a replay at a date to be decided. As the ground is emptying an announcement that both teams have agreed to extra time. When the spectators resume their positions there is a further announcement that, due to bye laws, there will be a replay next Sunday.
A reflection of how things are done in the county.

themaddog (Wicklow) - Posts: 136 - 22/10/2023 18:05:37    2509649

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1328 - 22/10/2023 23:42:09    2509699

Albundy19 (Wicklow) - Posts: 78 - 23/10/2023 08:40:46    2509715

You just can't write off this Village. A masterclass of championship football. Conceding a goal early you would have expected panic and heads going down especially when things were looking bleak to the end of the first half.
Blessington looked hungry and slick, moving the ball with his ease and playing to their strengths.
But with all great clubs there are great leaders and you need the experience all over the pitch.
James Stafford is worth his weight in gold, his guile alone inside had the Blessington rearguard scratching their head on numerous occasions. He was magnificent as the target man.
While Blessington looked nervous and shy coming down the straight you could see this rathnew team were loving the madness of the last 10 minutes of a Wicklow championship match.
Tinahely found out in the semi final, young bucks may get you so far but the experience and know how of Stafford, Snell, Eddie Doyle and Theo Smith will always come to the fore when the chips are down.

Blessington should have realised the open ground of Aughrim would be to their advantage but adopted some strange tactics abandoning their running game to a more long one which was extinguished by the underdogs.

Agb in the semi final another young pretender allowed Blessington the freedom of Aughrim with their naive tactics and inexperience, in contrast the village shut all that space up and brought Blessington into a battle and the hot favourites were Lucky to be going home yesterday with a chance of still winning this championship.

Rathnew are still a force and it will take an exhibition of running football to stop the village from adding to their collection.

Rathnew by 1 next Saturday!

willielee (Wicklow) - Posts: 42 - 23/10/2023 09:44:38    2509733

WW (Wicklow) - Posts: 86 - 23/10/2023 10:01:27    2509741

I am hearing both Saturday and Sunday for the replay. Any official confirmation?

TopDrawer (Wicklow) - Posts: 65 - 23/10/2023 10:11:37    2509747

I thought it was a very good intense game of football, especially on such a heavy pitch. Blessington were the better team for the majority of the game but they weren't ruthless and Rathnew never let them get too far ahead.

I thought Blessington's midfield was on top in the first half and Rathnew's the better in the second. I was very impressed with Eoin Doyle in the second half as well, he really had the jump on his marker and Rathnew got a lot of joy from him. Blessington naive in that they kept getting caught giving away scorable free kicks.

I'm completely neutral, but I was sitting not far from the Rathnew bench and if at least one of their players isn't banned for the replay for the incident with the linesman, then this county board really are spineless. I would say that the Rathnew player and coach who physically confronted the linesman were more aggressive than the Tullamore supporter who has made the national headlines. Kieron Kenny had a good game but he should have sent at least 2 of those lads off. It was a pity because it was a very respectful but hard game of football otherwise.

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 23/10/2023 11:29:06    2509785

I thought it was a very good intense game of football, especially on such a heavy pitch. Blessington were the better team for the majority of the game but they weren't ruthless and Rathnew never let them get too far ahead.

I thought Blessington's midfield was on top in the first half and Rathnew's the better in the second. I was very impressed with Eoin Doyle in the second half as well, he really had the jump on his marker and Rathnew got a lot of joy from him. Blessington naive in that they kept getting caught giving away scorable free kicks.

I'm completely neutral, but I was sitting not far from the Rathnew bench and if at least one of their players isn't banned for the replay for the incident with the linesman, then this county board really are spineless. I would say that the Rathnew player and coach who physically confronted the linesman were more aggressive than the Tullamore supporter who has made the national headlines. Kieron Kenny had a good game but he should have sent at least 2 of those lads off. It was a pity because it was a very respectful but hard game of football otherwise.

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 23/10/2023 11:45:13    2509796

Once again, I need to take my hat off to Rathnew, they never panicked even when it appeared that Blessington were in the ascendency. The quality of football on display yesterday and throughout the championship has been average but for drama and competitiveness it didn't disappoint. Away from the game; the confusion about a replay is a bit baffling. My understanding is that when a senior final finished level; a replay was a given whether it was an all ireland or a county final. Extra time and penalties is only required the second day. The pitch made playing skillful football difficult which begs the question, with the split season and six months; why can't county finals be played in September? I would have envisaged it wouldn't be too difficult to schedule games so that county finals could take place in September; it was managed previously while intermingled with intercounty games. Any word on confirmation regarding the replay; is it to be played on Saturday or Sunday?

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2039 - 23/10/2023 14:29:03    2509874

themaddog (Wicklow) - Posts: 136 - 23/10/2023 20:53:02    2509958

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1328 - 24/10/2023 10:59:20    2509999

Localboyinthephoto (Wicklow) - Posts: 1 - 24/10/2023 14:23:27    2510073

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1328 - 24/10/2023 15:34:46    2510088