A general view of Echelon Park, Aughrim. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
Wicklow SFC Final
Tinahely 0-16 Baltinglass 2-9
By Brendan Lawrence at Echelon Park, Aughrim
Not since 1984 have Tinahely climbed to the pinnacle of Wicklow football, but they did it in style on Saturday afternoon, Eoin D’Arcy sending over a late free with the breeze at his back and time almost up.
A wonderful crowd flocked to Echelon Park Aughrim for this decider, bringing colour and noise and great support for both teams, but 40 years of hurt were ended when D’Arcy kicked that winner.
To get to the position of converting that late free, Tinahely have the exceptional Matthew Ging to thank, son of team manager Martin, who delivered a truly stunning performance in the full-forward line, kicking 12 points, some of those sublime efforts from out near the sideline.
“It’s brilliant for our village. It’s brilliant for football. It’s brilliant for Wicklow. It’s great to have a new name on the Miley Cup,” said Martin Ging.
“It’s huge for Tinahely, it really is, and I’ll tell you why: we know we have good footballers, but until you win a Miley Cup, that’s how the barometer is set. It’s no use saying, ‘will we, won’t we’, they now have proved what a team they are, and nobody can deny that,” he added.
The outpouring of emotion after the final whistle was made all the more special given the tension around the grounds at half-time when Baltinglass took a 2-7 to 0-7 lead into the dressing rooms, the goals from John McGrath and Chris Heaslip in the 10th and 16th minutes of the opening 30.
But with the wind at their backs, Tinahely powered into the second half with three unanswered points only for John McGrath to loft over two frees to leave it 2-9 to 0-11, 14 gone.
From here, it was all about Tinahely, and Matthew Ging, while they had massive shifts from Rory Stokes, Cillian McDonald, Paddy O’Rourke and Larry Kinsella as well, not to mention teak-tough full-back and team captain Michael Byrne.
Onwards roared Tinahely, Ging kicking over some magical scores from play and placed balls and one peach in the middle from substitute Eoghan Byrne. Baltinglass wouldn’t score again.
Up stepped Eoin D’Arcy. A pressure free about 40 out. Nerves of steel, and skills honed over 20-odd years of training and dedication. The eyes of the crowd were locked on the ball as it sailed high over the bar and the town end, and then pure carnage as the crowd erupted.
Darragh Byrne’s final whistle sounded soon after and 40 years of hurt were washed away by a flood of joy and delight.
“The whole thing is surreal at the moment. It hasn’t sunk in,” said Martin Ging. “We were the better team in the second half, completely. We sort of gifted them two goals in the first half. It took us a while to get into it. Maybe it was our fault, maybe we left the backs too exposed.
“But in the second half, we knew, we knew that we were in it. We got a couple of quick scores, and Matthew (Ging) was on fire, absolutely on fire. We knew it was in him. He was on his own mission this year to prove a few doubters wrong. He did it, and fair dues to him.
“We put a few doubters to rest there today. And we won it with a proper game of football, proper game of football. No negativity at all. We won it fair and square by playing football, and that’s what I’m super proud about. We played football,” he added.
Tinahely: Alan Nolan; Kevin Mulhall, Michael Byrne, Bradley Hickey; James Hedderman, Noel Mulhall, Cillian McDonald; Brian Walsh, Daniel Hedderman; Larry Kinsella, Eoin D’Arcy (0-3, 1f), Paddy O’Rourke; Matthew Ging (0-12, 8f), Rory Stokes, Jason Cush.
Subs: Eoghan Byrne (0-1) for B Walsh (22, inj), Shane Hogan for J Hedderman (45), Thomas Kelly for J Cush (54).
Baltingass: Mark Jackson; Chris Grimes, Tom Burke, Karl Furlong; James Fleming, Jason Kennedy, Arun Daly Danne; Patrick Whelan (0-1), Jack Kirwan; Stephen Heaslip, Kevin Murphy, Pat Burke; John McGrath (1-5, 2f), Adam McHugh (0-1), Chris Heaslip (1-1).
Subs: Dan Kelly for K Murphy (35), Tommy Keogh for S Heaslip (44), Sean Doody for D Kelly (46, temp, reversed 48), Sean Doody for A McHugh (60).
Referee: Darragh Byrne (Ballymanus).
