Tadhg Evans

3 weeks ago | independent.ie | Tadhg Evans

McConville was concerned about team’s mentality when 10 points down in the opening halfIf it costs a penny for someone’s thoughts, Oisín McConville could have left Wexford Park after half an hour’s action with a decent sum. The less-informed might have put the Waterford game down as a certain two points, but even the better-informed identified this as the most winnable game of this Tailteann Cup group. Deep into the first half, however, it was the Déise, not Wicklow, who were 10 points up.

3 weeks ago | independent.ie | Tadhg Evans

I hear Wicklow topped the table. What advantages does that afford them? We said two weeks ago that the chances of Wicklow finishing first in the group were remote – and they were. They needed Laois to beat Offaly – a result we didn’t fancy after Laois’s poor showing in Aughrim – and even at that, Wicklow would need to rack up a massive winning margin against Waterford. However, both those things happened, and Wicklow leapfrogged Offaly on score difference.

3 weeks ago | independent.ie | Tadhg Evans

Though they lost the All-Ireland Tier Three Championship final on Saturday, manager Barry Fitzgerald tips bigger things for some of his playersLosing an All-Ireland final is hard on everyone involved with the losing team, but it poses a unique challenge for managers. They have to push their feelings aside to no small extent because, as their title suggests, they need to manage how their players process the experience. When those players are youngsters, minors, the challenge is even keener.

3 weeks ago | independent.ie | Tadhg Evans

Player assessments after Wicklow book place in Tailteann Cup quarter-finalsMark Kenny played very well, kicking four points. It’s a hard one to measure. Wicklow were bad – awful, at times – in the first half and, yet, it ended up being a good evening for football in this county: 17-point winners and, surprisingly, top of their Tailteann Cup group. So, where does that leave the player-by-player assessments?

3 weeks ago | independent.ie | Tadhg Evans

Player assessments as Wicklow booked place in Tailteann Cup quarter-finalsMark Kenny played very well, kicking four points. It’s a hard one to measure. Wicklow were bad – awful, at times – in the first half and, yet, it ended up being a good evening for football in this county: 17-point winners and, surprisingly, top of their Tailteann Cup group. So, where does that leave the player-by-player assessments?