THE LAST POINT: Reflections on a strange day in Aughrim

Five days have passed and I’m just getting around to ordering my thoughts about what we witnessed down in Echeclon Aughrim Park last Sunday, a fascinating encounter in difficult conditions down in south Wicklow and one that, despite the defeat, saw me leave the ground with a good deal of optimism.

Normally, The Last Point column every Wednesday in the Observer tends to reflect on the happenings of the previous weekend and with the start of the Allianz NFL Division 4 campaign but this week was different because last Monday, I hopped across the Irish Sea for my first ever trip to the otherworldly Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton’s fabulous new and almost space age home on the banks of the Mersey!

When you are an Everton fan in this country, it can often seem like a cult compared to the hordes of Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Tottenham fans but judging from the amount of Irish Toffees I bumped into the stadium, from every part of the country, there are a lot more of us than even I realise.

But this additional column isn’t going to be waxing lyrical about the Hill Dickinson Stadium, as much I’d love to do just that, but the further I’ve got away from the events in Aughrim last Sunday, the more I’ve realised that the talking points from the game in Echelon Park deserve a bit more attention.

So rather than go into some convoluted thread that links up the various talking points, I’m doing the old fashioned individual points.

ECHELON PARK THE MOST PICTURESQUE IN THE COUNTRY

County grounds are designed to be functional, even cost effective - the aesthetic doesn’t really come into it but you can’t help but think that Echelon Aughrim Park is the most picturesque in the county - Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney has an incredible view if you are on the terrace side, overlooking the main stand but in terms of wherever you sit, Echelon Park can’t be beaten with houses high up in the hills and a mist coming down from the mountains. 

THE LAST POINT: HOLD OFF ON THE PANIC BUTTON

And while we’re at it, enormous credit to the Park team in Echelon Park - there were videos on social media depicting torrential floods around the area and in the town but the pitch in Echelon Park was incredibly solid when I walked it after the game, almost no traces of muck on the players. Considering there was a heavy mist and light rain for most of the match, the condition of the playing surface was truly remarkable so kudos to all involved, particularly those who added a new astro-turf warm-up area in the car park behind the terraces.

REFEREES ARE IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDERS

Sitting the Press box, all I knew during and after the game was that both Wicklow and Leitrim felt that referee Ian Howley was going against them so perhaps he was spot on. He made two or three controversial decisions - disallowing a Tom Prior point for steps and a Ryan O’Rourke free for clearly exceeding the white foam mark. A big one was the decision to penalise Steven Poacher with a yellow card and a free, as per the rules, for his interactions with the linesman early in the second half. Of course, Mark Jackson brought it back out the field for a two pointer and in a game you lose by one, the effects of that decision are multipled hugely. 

Poacher himself made no big deal of the decision, by the book, it might have been the right call but we’re not used to officials making those calls. The only query I’d have is that Oisin McConville wasn’t similarly penalised for an interaction with the line official but I guess that is in the eye of the beholder. This won’t go down well but Howley was consistent in his decisions and did a solid job. You mightn’t have agreed all of with those decisions, as plenty in the press box vociferously did, but the Meath official was consistent with his calls and, as we’re always told, that is all you can ask! Referees are easy targets, as the reactions from both camps testifies, but Howley did a very solid job in a tough encounter.

DISCIPLINE COST GREEN & GOLD BIG TIME

As much as the display in Aughrim was uplifting and awe-inspiring, certainly compared to the pre-match vibe, Leitrim did kick themselves in the foot at times with their discipline - we’ve mentioned it previously but if they can cut down on those giveaways, Leitrim will be a very good place.

JACKSON’S BOOT A HOWITZER AS WICKLOW STRUGGLE FROM PLAY

When you lose by a point, we have so many key moments that influence the game but no doubting that the boot of keeper Mark Jackson was a decisive factor! Jackson scored nine points from placed balls, four of them two point frees and two of them, at least, from 50 to 60 yards. It is not just his accuracy, it is the power he puts into it - the ball flying between five and ten yards above the crossbar even from that crazy distance. Jackson and forward Eoin Darcy were accuracy personified with 1-14 from their tally of 1-17 coming from placed balls -and they missed a few as well. As much as scoring from frees is great, Oisin McConville will want a better return from open play and they would have got it had Daire O’Shea not made four to five significant one-on-one saves to prevent certain goals - so maybe Wicklow aren’t that badly off!

RYAN’S RETURN ADDS A NEW DIMENSION

After just half a game against Galway, Ryan O’Rourke defied common sense when he played the entire 70 minute plus down in Aughrim. If we’re being completely honest, I think there is a lot more to come from the Leitrim captain - his burst of pace isn’t quite there yet but his game intelligence and leadership was everything Leitrim needed. No more than Barry McNulty, we’d ought to wrap Ryan up in cotton wool because he is so important to Leitrim’s hopes. There are some incredibly talented young footballers coming through but Ryan’s tactical nous, experience and sheer bloodymindedness is something Leitrim badly, badly missed last year - great to see him back in Green & Gold!

RETURN OF THE MAC CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH

Midfield was a serious positive area for Leitrim against Wicklow - Conor Quinn and Keith Keegan delivered exceptional performances as Leitrim dominated that sector of the field with scavengers coming into claim the loose ball. Considering how badly Leitrim had struggled in those areas in the FBD League, this was a remarkable and unexpected transformation. We’ll grant that Division 4 football is off what Roscommon and Galway can produce but, along with some excellent kickouts from Daire O’Shea, Leitrim were transformed in the sector and it almost launched Leitrim to victory. But, just having Barry McNulty on the field would give Leitrim an extra dimension - Wicklow’s victory was built on two pointers and nobody possesses the same range or accuracy that the Glencar Manorhamilton man has. Rushing Barry back into action might be desirable, he has that much of an effect on his team, but truth is, Poacher might be far better off holding the midfielder back for as long as he can after a couple of injury hit seasons.

POACHER SEEING BENEFITS OF WORK FROM SEASON 1 IN SEASON 2

One of the points repeatedly made by Steven Poacher last year was that the cumulative effects that the training programme undertaken by his management team would pay off in the years to come - Poacher has always stressed it would take time to build the players up to the required levels but it was clear in Aughrim that the effects are starting to be shown. On a tough day when tireless commitment was not just necessary but the starting point for Leitrim’s performance, the fact that Leitrim players were running strong at the end and a few of the Wicklow lads looked dead on their feet illustrates just how far this squad has come. More time in the system will see this young team physically mature and get stronger in what Poacher is looking for them to do but seeing Leitrim lads sprinting as if their lives depended on it in added time speaks of huge improvements from last season.

DIEHARDS GET BEHIND THE TEAM

The news that the Supporters bus traditionally organised by the Leitrim Supporters Club was cancelled due to a lack of interest was certainly shocking and probably says more about the vibe around the team at the moment - just a couple of years ago, Leitrim fans travelled in their droves to Aughrim, albeit the Supporters Bus didn’t cover themselves in glory when they left before the Ladies game, but last Sunday, it was family members and a few incredibly dedicated diehards. It is not an easy journey to Aughrim, I’ll admit, but fans have travelled before and it is a pity that more weren’t there to witness a heartwarming display. Great credit to the family members and fans who made it to Aughrim, you certainly made your presence felt!

PATIENCE STILL REQUIRED

As anyone who knows me, caution tends to be a by-word for me and for all the positives coming from the display in Aughrim, there will be tough days ahead. Waterford may be regarded as a gimme but they have a history of causing upset and Carlow look to be laying down a marker. I get the feeling that teams will take points from each other and Antrim, beaten at home by Carlow, Longford and Tipperary will be right up there with Leitrim, Carlow and Wicklow and lest not forget London. I’m very optimistic about this campaign but caution still have me wondering what will happen over the coming weeks!