Wonderful Wicklow win local Leinster derby with Carlow

KICK-LOW: Padraig O’Toole scores his side's first goal during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Round 1 match between Carlow and Wicklow. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Wicklow 2-15 Carlow 1-7

So much for National League form being a reliable indicator of Championship gains, Wicklow won this local Leinster SFC derby at a canter.

Carlow topped Division 4, thanks in part to a group stage win over Wicklow, and went on to claim the Division 4 title at Croke Park, but were well beaten by their neighbours here.

And having given Dublin their fill of it last year in Aughrim, Oisín McConville's Wicklow can be confident of being at least competitive when they face the Sky Blues all over again there next Sunday.

That's a real banana skin encounter now for Ger Brennan and Dublin who were alerted once again to the excellence of Mark Jackson, Wicklow's top-scorer with six points.

Padraig O'Toole and Oisín McGraynor both netted for Wicklow and finished with 1-1 apiece, while evergreen captain Dean Healy got in on the scoring too.

Carlow lost captain Mikey Bambrick to a red card for his second booking five minutes from time.

Wicklow were without a key player from the start, Tailteann Cup All-Star Malachy Stone, who it's understood picked up a season-threatening injury in training.

Jackson has been a huge scoring outlet for Wicklow all season, registering 16 two-pointers in all competitions this year before arriving in Carlow.

It was pretty much neck and neck throughout a dour first half played in slippery conditions after a huge downpour early in the game.

But when Jackson came alive and drilled over two more two-pointers late in the half, it allowed Carlow to surge clear and take a 0-8 to 0-4 half time lead.

Wicklow were just 0-4 to 0-3 ahead with the allotted 35 minutes played when Jackson strode forward and nailed a long-range score from play.

Liam Gavin replied with a Carlow single, from a free that was well won by Ross Dunphy.

But Jackson profited again just before the interval when Wicklow didn't fully retreat after a Carlow free and the ball was brought up to the edge of the arc, allowing the goalkeeper to convert for another orange flag score.

Suddenly, Wicklow's narrow lead had turned into a double scores four-point advantage and, crucially, they would now have the wind behind them for the second half.

Colm Hulton hit Carlow's first score of the game but while it was a trademark two-pointer from the experienced Éire Óg man, it was also the hosts' only score from play in the half.

Jackson's third two-pointer was another hammer blow to Carlow, not just because it shoved Wicklow 0-11 to 0-4 ahead after 41 minutes but because it was also entirely avoidable, the referee bringing play forward 50 metres again.

O'Toole then killed off Carlow with the crucial goal, playing a clever one-two with Oisín McGraynor, after Wicklow won a Carlow kick-out, before smashing home to the net.

Carlow, trailing by 10 points, and having put just 0-4 on the board, were in real trouble and badly in need of a goal.

And one duly arrived, substitute Jamie Clarke getting lucky with a point attempt from the left that dropped in over the head of Jackson.

Bambrick and sub Chris Blake added points but Carlow still trailed by six with 13 minutes to go, 1-6 to 1-12.

And any hopes of a comeback win were scuppered by three Wicklow points in a row - from Darcy, Healy and O'Toole - before Bambrick's exit.

McGraynor struck Wicklow's second goal right at the death, soloing through the centre and powering to the net.

Carlow, to their credit, opened up Wicklow for three different goal chances across the game for Dunphy but he was unable to convert any of them.

Scorers for Wicklow: M Jackson 0-6 (1 tp, 2 tpf), P O'Toole 1-1, O McGraynor 1-1 (0-1f), E Darcy 0-3 (0-3f), D Healy 0-2, M Nolan 0-1, C O'Brien 0-1.

Scorers for Carlow: J Clarke 1-0, C Hulton 0-2 (1 tp), L Gavin 0-2 (0-2f), C Blake 0-2, M Bambrick 0-1.

Wicklow: M Jackson; T Moran, C Ó Gallchobhair, G Fogarty; C Deering, M Nolan, J Carlin; D Healy, J Kirwan; C O'Brien, J Hardy, P O'Toole; O McGraynor, M Kenny, E Darcy.

Subs: E Murtagh for Ó Gallchobhair 53, J Prendergast for Deering 55, S Murphy for Kenny 63, C Baker for Kirwan 70, L O'Neill for Carlin 71.

Carlow: B McCarron; P McDonnell, J Phiri, C Byrne; N Roche, D Curran, P Bolger; E Ruth, M Furey; C Doyle, C Hulton, M Bambrick; R Dunphy, L Walker, E Ruth.

Subs: J Murphy for Roche 42, J Clarke for Gavin 45, C Blake for Walker 48, K Nolan for Ruth 57, A Amond for Dunphy 66.

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary).