'I wouldn't be happy with that' - McConville motivated by 'outside managers' comments from Carlow boss

The Garden County earned a big win after much 'soul-searching'. 

Wicklow Manager Oisín McConville. Pic: INPHO/Grace Halton

Wicklow 2-15 Carlow 1-7 

Oisín McConville has revealed that he took motivation from opposing Carlow manager Joe Murphy's comments about non-native managers, interpreting it as being 'directed at me'.

Armagh legend McConville felt his side 'dominated the game' against the Division 4 champions, propelling them through to a Leinster SFC quarter-final against Dublin next Sunday that will be a repeat of last year's fixture in Aughrim.

Goalkeeper Mark Jackson top scored with six points, a haul that included back-to-back two-pointers late in the first half which ignited last season's Tailteann Cup semi-finalists.

Goals in the second half from Padraig O'Toole and Oisín McGraynor helped Wicklow to turn the screw and to gain some revenge on a Carlow side that defeated them in the Division 4 promotion race.

Losing to Longford in Round 7 ultimately cost Wicklow promotion and McConville said that there was a period of 'soul searching' ahead of their Championship opener.

But they delivered impressively, despite being without injured stars Malachy Stone, Kevin Quinn, JP Nolan and Darragh Fee, and McConville acknowledged that Murphy's talk about non-native managers after the Division 4 final win provided extra motivation.

"I was a bit...I was probably taken aback by it," said McConville of Murphy's comments about being particularly proud of winning Division 4 with a home grown management team.

"Maybe I took it personally, maybe I thought it was directed at me. Maybe I'm paranoid at this stage. And coming off the (Longford) defeat the last day, I suppose you pick on everything (for motivation).

"But no, I wouldn't be happy with that (opinion), we all have to go and find opportunities in other places. I've been lucky, I've been here for four years.

"And I've enjoyed every single minute of it. It hasn't all been a bed of roses and I can tell you in the last two weeks there was a lot of soul searching, for absolutely everybody, but this means as much to me today as if Armagh beat Tyrone later on."

Ross Dunphy had three decent goal chances for Carlow and failed to convert any of them.

But Carlow weren't robbed or anything like it as Wicklow also registered eight second-half wides.

"We were under a massive amount of pressure coming down here and we dominated the game, let's face it," said McConville. "And we should have won by a hell of a lot more."

There's scope for improvement then ahead of their clash with Dublin. Wicklow gave the Dubs a scare in last year's encounter, losing out by nine points in the end.

"I think they'll be coming down angry this time actually because obviously they've been relegated, written off, people are saying they are not the team they were," said the 2002 All-Ireland winner.

"But I'm sure they'll relish it themselves, coming down. It was a great occasion last year, the Dubs came down in their droves and it was the first time I had seen Aughrim full since I've been down there."

Carlow will turn their attention now to the Tailteann Cup, a competition they could potentially go far in.

But they'll need a major improvement with just four scores in the opening half here and none from open play between the third and 48th minutes.

Jamie Clarke's 48th minute goal broke that barren spell but was hugely fortunate as his point attempt looped in over Jackson's head.

"These guys have consistently gone to the well, not just physically but emotionally, and they're just drained," shrugged Carow manager Murphy. "It showed in their performance today. That's as flat as we've been. A lot of the execution in the scoring zone didn't make life easy on ourselves either."

Wicklow led by 0-8 to 0-4 at half time and Carlow kicked themselves for presenting Jackson with two two-point opportunities either side of the interval after play was brought up 50 metres for failing to retreat after frees were awarded.

Wicklow scorers: M Jackson (0-6, 1 tp, 2 tpf); P O'Toole, O McGraynor (1 free) (1-1 each); E Darcy (0-3, 3 frees); D Healy (0-2); M Nolan, C O'Brien (0-1 each).

Carlow scorers: J Clarke (1-0); C Hulton (1 tp), L Gavin (2 frees), C Blake (0-2 each); 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, L Gavin.

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).

Ref: S Lonergan (Tipperary).