Dublin avoid major shock and leave McConville's Wicklow with plenty of regret
Dublin's Colm Basquel and Cian Deering of Wicklow. Pic: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Regrets? OisÃn McConville has acknowledged that he and Wicklow have more than a few.
The Division 4 outfit, who finished 20 places behind the Dubs in National League terms, had the neck of their vaunted opponents on the chopping block in Aughrim but just couldn't bring down the blade.
If it wasn't Mark Jackson, their goalkeeper who has developed the reputation of a two-point king with 19 orange flag scores in 2026 alone, drilling unlikely wides, it was JP Nolan or Jack Kirwan or Chris O'Brien.
Jackson alone knocked six frees wide as a Dublin side reduced to 14 late on following the dismissal of debutant Liam Smith fell over the finish line.
Dublin will play holders Louth in a Leinster SFC semi-final next Saturday week in Portlaoise.
They will continue without suspended manager Ger Brennan and will hope the tweaks and knocks that forced the substitutions of captain Con O'Callaghan, former All-Star Colm Basquel and defender Eoin Murchan don't rule them out too.
On the plus side, stand-in manager Dean Rock said they could have key quartet Ciarán Kilkenny, Ross McGarry, Theo Clancy and Lee Gannon back for the Louth date.
But Wicklow's provincial challenge is over and it's back to the Tailteann Cup for last season's tier two semi-finalists.
"Definitely we're going to have regrets," said Wicklow manager McConville, whose side also missed out on promotion from Division 4 narrowly.
"There's going to be a bit more soul-searching. I'm sick of searching my soul at this stage. I'm sure the boys are the same but they have nothing to be down about. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn't. It hasn't gone for us yet but it will, it'll turn. When the door is not opening, you just have to keep on banging."
Smith was one of four Dublin players that made their Championship debuts at Echelon Park while Nathan Doran also started a Championship game for the first time.
Throw in the absence of Brennan who failed with a Saturday morning appeal to the Disputes Resolution Authority against his 12-week suspension and you can understand just how vulnerable Dublin were.
Rock shrugged when asked if it was a near miss from his perspective.
"It was exactly what I expected from Wicklow," replied Rock. "Aughrim is a difficult place to play, it's built the reputation of a difficult place to come to over the years.
"Physically, Wicklow were superb. On the kick-outs they were excellent and put us under a huge amount of pressure throughout the game."
Rock looked to the positives.
"Ultimately it wasn't the best team performance but we found a way to win - that's what Gaelic football is all about," he said.
"It's about winning games of football. That's the one positive from today, that we got over the line and got the win and we're going to be a better team in two weeks' time."
Rock had no update on the fresh injuries and said O'Callaghan, Basquel and Murchan will all need to be assessed. On Smith's red card, he said he didn't see the incident fully but maintained the Ballinteer man 'wouldn't be a dirty player'.
Rock said the Brennan situation has been parked too.
"We've accepted the fact that Ger won't be with us for the next seven or eight weeks and that's something we're going to row in behind," he said.
Eoin Darcy struck 2-2 for Wicklow and his first goal, from a third-minute penalty, left them ahead for much of the opening half.
But Dublin came alive close to half-time, nailing three two-pointers from Small and McGinnis, before Charlie McMorrow netted to put them 1-11 to 1-7 up.
It was a flattering lead and when Wicklow's Darcy fisted to the net in the 44th minute, after an OisÃn McGraynor ball in, it was followed by Dean Healy's second two-pointer which nudged the home team ahead again, 2-11 to 1-13.
But they couldn't hold on as Dublin just about avoided following up their relegation from Division 1 with a devastating Championship loss.
Bugler, Basquel and Niall Scully all pointed in the final quarter before Small's goal, a terrific passing move that they effectively walked to the net, giving the favourites a vital cushion late on.
P Small 1-6 (2 tp); S Bugler (0-5); C McMorrow (1-0); K McGinnis (0-2, tp); C O'Callaghan (1 free), C Basquel, N Scully (0-1 each).
E Darcy (2-2, 1 pen); D Healy (0-5, 2 tp); O McGraynor (0-4, 1 tpf, 1 free); P O'Toole, C Deering, C O'Brien (0-1 each).
E Comerford; E Murchan, N Doran, D Byrne; G McEneaney, C McMorrow, E Kennedy; B Howard, T Lahiff; S Bugler, N Scully, P White; P Small, K McGinnis, C O'Callaghan.
C Costello for O'Callaghan & S MacMahon for McEneaney (h/t); P Ó Cofaigh Byrne for Lahiff (43); C Basquel for White (52); L Smith for MacMahon (56-59); E Dunne for Basquel (59); Smith for Murchan (60).
M Jackson; T Moran, C Ó Gallchobhair, G Fogarty; C Deering, M Nolan, J Carlin; D Healy, J Kirwan; J Hardy, P O'Toole, C O'Brien; O McGraynor, M Kenny, E Darcy.
JP Nolan for Kenny (49); J Prendergast for O'Brien (57); K Quinn for Hardy (59); C Baker for Deering (66).
C Dourneen (Cavan).
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