The Wicklow Senior footballers get their Allianz NFL Division 4 campaign up and running with a tricky trip across the border to Netwatch Cullen Park to take on Niall Carew’s Carlow on Saturday evening from 7pm.
aving suffered relegation from Division 3 last season, it would be an amazing achievement to bounce back immediately but this league is nothing short of a minefield with teams like Carlow, Laois, Wexford, Leitrim and Sligo all capable of going on strong runs if the time and conditions are right.
Kiltegan’s Pádraig O’Toole was named captain recently with Kevin Quinn and Patrick O’Keane take the roles of vice-captains and all three make the starting team for tomorrow evening’s game, with O’Keane lining out at centre-back, O’Toole in midfield along with Jack Kirwan from Baltinglass who impressed in the O’Byrne Cup campaign while Quinn will be a target man up front at full-forward.
Mark Jackson will wear the number one jersey with Eoin Murtagh drafted back to wear number three with Tom Moran and Malachy Stone alongside.
Zach Cullen and Karl Furlong will line out either side of O’Keane in the half-back line while the welcome return of Andy Maher to the team sees the AGB man slot into the half-forward line with Dean Healy at 11 and Cathal Baker on the far side.
Eoin D’Arcy will join Kevin Quinn in the scoring zone and expect Mark Kenny, wearing 13, to adopt his usual roaming role.
The Garden County also have a relatively strong substitute list to call upon when required with Bray’s Arran Murphy, Blessington’s Paul McLoughlin, Tinahely’s Rory Stokes, Rathnew’s Eddie Doyle and Tommy Kelly of St Patrick’s to name just a few taking their place on a quality bench.
In the Carlow camp, Kilbride’s Darragh Foley will wear the captain’s armband again this year while Niall Carew is joined by selectors Victor Doyle and Simon Rea alongside coaches Ronan Joyce, Eamonn Callaghan and Robbie Molloy.
Wicklow team: Mark Jackson (Baltinglass); Tom Moran (Dunlavin), Eoin Murtagh (Dunlavin), Malachy Stone (Barndarrig); Zach Cullen (Barndarrig), Patrick O’Keane (St Patrick’s), Karl Furlong (Baltinglass); Pádraig O’Toole (Kiltegan), Jack Kirwan (Baltinglass); Andy Maher (AGB), Dean Healy (St Patrick’s), Cathal Baker (Avondale); Mark Kenny (Ballymanus), Kevin Quinn (Blessington), Eoin D’Arcy (Tinahely). Subs: Jack Sargent (Blessington), Rory Stokes (Tinahely), Arran Murphy (Bray Emmets), Paul McLoughlin (Blessington), Cillian McDonald (Tinahely), JP Hurley (AGB), Joe Prendergast (Éire Óg Greystones), Thomas Kelly (St Patrick’s), Eddie Doyle (Rathnew), Arun Daly Danne (Baltinglass), Cian O’Sullivan (Dunlavin).
Manager: Oisin McConville
Selectors: Joe Cowley, Paul Kelly, Gary Duffy.
Carlow: Ciaran Cunningham; Shane Buggy, Mikey Bambrick, Jonah Dunne; Seanie Bambrick, Jordan Morrissey, Conor Doyle; Niall Hickey, Aaron Amond; Josh Moore, Ciaran Moran, Jamie Clarke; Ross Dunphy, Darragh Foley, Conor Crowley.
