‘I don’t have the words to describe it, that’s the truth’: Conor Laverty at a loss to explain Down collapse as Oisin McConville revels in Wicklow comeback victory

Tailteann Cup final: Down 2-16 Wicklow 1-21 THE contrast in demeanour between Oisin McConville and Conor Laverty was as stark as the two halves of football in Saturday’s Tailteann Cup final. McConville was a heady mix of exhaustion, elation and emotion as he tried to make sense of Wicklow’s Lazarian comeback, and a remarkable one-point victory that guarantees the Division Four Garden county a spot in next year’s All-Ireland championship. “Coming into the game, we talked about the difference between what both camps were in for – Down wanted Sam Maguire football, we wanted the cup. “People keep talking about resilience, and heart and desire; of course they’re going to have heart and desire, look where they’re coming from. “This team’s going to be playing Sam Maguire football next year, that’s a massive lift, that’s a massive thing for Wicklow. “We’ve had plenty of heartache, but when you have that heartache, you have two choices. You can crawl in under your shell and forget about it, or you can actually say to yourself, ‘I’m just going to come out swinging’.” Thirteen points behind just after half-time, there was no other option. Because it looked as though the occasion might be too much as a super-charged Down sought to secure Sam Maguire football for 2027. Pat Havern could have had a goal inside three minutes, only to blaze over, but found the back of the net 16 minutes in when Mark Jackson – having just missed an effort at a two-point free – was caught in no man’s land. Staying out around the middle, Down spotted the opportunity and the ball was pumped towards the square. The retreating Wicklow goalkeeper turned to face the play just as the ball was bouncing, leaving Havern with the easiest of finishes. That was 1-7 to 0-1; a Saturday stroll for Laverty’s side. And it would go from bad to worse for the Garden. Burns, dead-eyed in clipping over a couple of two-pointers, saved an Eoin Darcy penalty minutes before John McGeough rose highest to fist home the Mourne county’s second goal. The team that rumbled Donegal in Letterkenny, that beat high-flying Louth and went toe-to-toe with Galway in Newry the summer before, were stretching their legs and getting ready to sign off the year in style. But, if there is one thing Wicklow have shown throughout this championship, it’s that you count them out at your peril. They rallied late to push All-Ireland semi-finalists Dublin to the pin of their collars in Leinster. Nine back against Antrim a month ago, the Garden somehow made it out of Belfast with a one-point win. Offaly led by eight at half-time of their Tailteann Cup semi-final, only to lose by five. “If we’re going to win games,” said McConville, “I wouldn’t be advising that long term...” The Mournemen were well warned – yet still they wilted under the pressure when Wicklow came flying out of the blocks in the second half. Dean Healy was a colossus as the tide turned, driving his side forward as the energy slowly seeped from Down legs. It felt as though it would only be a purple patch when Padraig O’Toole and Darcy were pinging over early scores; that the Mournemen would find something, at some stage, to restore order. But it didn’t happen. Indeed, they were all too often architects of their own downfall – taking the ball into contact, spurning opportunities and giving Wicklow life as their crowd rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion. Callum Rogers was caught in possession by Kevin Quinn and, after Donegal native Johnny Carlin’s shot was saved by Burns, Oisin McGraynor clipped over. That was a sign of things to come. Peter Fegan fumbled a Burns kick-out moments later, with Quinn firing wide after being fed by McGraynor. The panic among the Mourne ranks could be felt in every corner of Croke Park. When Daniel Guinness dropped a shot short, Wicklow went straight up and raised an orange flag through Christopher O’Brien – 2-10 to 0-4 was now 2-12 to 0-14. Ceilum Doherty carried the Down fight but the pressure was weighing heavy. And then came the killer blow that Wicklow had waited for. Again, Down could only blame themselves – first half substitute Caolan Mooney turned over by Carlin at one end, Healy providing the finishing touch at the other within seconds, easing away from Odhran Murdock before sending his shot beyond Burns’ despairing dive. All square with 14 to play. Anything that could go wrong now was for Down. Mooney saw a shot brilliantly cleared off the line by Darragh Fee, Havern curled a free wide from the kind of position he would normally score in his sleep. Wicklow were down to 14 heading down the straight following a black card for Tom Moran, but they weren’t to be denied. Guinness did well to block off O’Toole’s rampaging run into the square, only for the Carryduff dynamo to lift the loose ball off the ground in the panic that followed. Darcy, denied by Burns in the first half, scored what would turn out to be the winning free as Shane Annett and captain Murdock, twice, passed up opportunities to take the game to extra-time. Down have pulled it from the fire on days like these before, but not this time. As defeat sinks in, reality will take hold. About the mountain they must climb to avoid being back in the Tailteann Cup again next year, having earned promotion to an ultra-competitive Division Two. Of the pressure that rests on their shoulders from the opening weekend of the league. “I don’t have the words to describe it, that’s the truth,” said a shell-shocked Laverty. “Just lack of discipline, very sloppy in possession, the amount of turnovers they gave away... first half, we were extremely happy, the second was a disaster. “I would understand if we had got penned in on kick-outs and couldn’t get our hands on ball, but I think we were 92 per cent on our own kick-out, so that tells its own story - 25 or 26 turnovers. “It’s still the same areas that we’re falling down on, still areas that are frequently being revisited in periods of games and we’ve tried to work on them on the training pitch, we’ve tried to work on them on and off the pitch, but it’s a massive challenge.” Asked what he said to the players in the changing room afterwards, and what next year might hold, he added: “I just thanked them for their effort and for their time, they’ve made a lot of sacrifices and I respect each and every one of them. I just told them that’s not the way we wanted the journey to end this year. “Today isn’t the day to be looking ahead for anything else. We’ve invested a lot of time together, so it’s time to take a bit of time and just settle the heads, study a lot of things... ultimately it’ll be the players and the county board that decide where the next step is for this team.” The next step for Wicklow is clear. Promotion from Division Four, having so narrowly missed out this year, will be a major priority – but so too will putting their best foot forward when the All-Ireland championship rolls around. However, after four years making the long trip from Crossmaglen for four years, will Oisin McConville be leading them into battle when those big days roll around? “That’s not just my decision. And I’m not just talking about what happens within Wicklow, I’m talking about the missus and if it’s still doable. “It is tough, there’s a lot of hours on the road, I know I’m missing stuff with them at home, but I have the support. The two boys [his sons] were in Wicklow jerseys and one of them said to me ‘if Wicklow play Armagh in the Sam Maguire next year, who should I support?’ “If that’s not a case for a half and half jersey, I don’t know what is. If that was the only problem I had, of course I’d love to go again and commit, but we have three young kids and it’s not just my decision.” And as the celebrations kick into gear, everybody in Wicklow will be keeping their fingers crossed in the weeks and months to come. Wicklow: M Jackson 0-3 (1 tpf, 1 45); M Stone, T Morgan, G Fogarty; D Fee, E Murtagh, M Nolan; D Healy 1-1, J Kirwan; J Carlin, P O’Toole 0-3, C O’Brien 0-2 (1tp); O McGraynor 0-4 (1tp, 1f), K Quinn 0-4, E Darcy 0-4 (1tp 1f). Subs: J Prendergast for Kirwan (52), C Deering for Murtagh (54), M Kenny for Fogarty (59), JP Nolan for McGraynor (68), L O’Neill for Darcy (69) Yellow cards: D Healy (6), O McGraynor (22) Black card: T Moran (64) Down: R Burns 0-4 (2 tpf); P Fegan, P Laverty, P McCarthy; C Rogers, S Annett 0-1, R McCormack 0-1; R McEvoy, O Murdock; D Guinness 0-1, C Doherty 0-3, M Rooney 0-3 (1tp); J McGeough 1-0, P Havern 1-2 (1f), E Brown 0-1. Subs: C Mooney for McCarthy (26), R Magill for Rogers (48), R O’Hare for McGeough (53), P Brooks for Brown (64) Yellow cards: R McEvoy (33), R O’Hare (65), D Guinness (68) Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin)