It was over after the first five minutes.
We had barely settled in the seats as Jamie Clarke was awarded a penalty for a pulled shirt, which he duly dispatched. Jaws tensed on the sideline. A couple of sideways glances. Not the start we’d hoped for.
We thoroughly understood the challenge in front of us. Armagh are always a test, never more than in front of their own fans.
We had started strong against Longford in the first round, winning by two points. Against Meath we left Aughrim feeling we deserved more from the game. Armagh were a cut above though. Two minutes in, a goal down and we knew we had a mountain to climb.
We’ve all been on the receiving end of an early goal, it can be a blow but it can also galvanise a team. It can shock them into a performance. It doesn’t always have to be a negative.
When Aaron Kernan hoisted a looping free in on top of the goal line, we fully expected Anto McLoughlin to rise and claim it.
He’d been huge for us all year in midfield, with his powerful surging runs and critical scores, he was emerging as a real leader.
Unfortunately, for him and us, it slipped from his grip and Clarke pounced, flicking it over the line for his second. Disaster.
That was the hammer blow.
Armagh's Eugene McVerry in action with Wicklow's Anthony McLoughlin ©INPHO/Presseye/Matt Mackey
I can’t remember specifics but we must have been 15 or 16 points adrift by the time Joey Kelly got our first score midway through the first half. It was a typically stylish point from Kelly but we managed only one more score for the entire afternoon.
While the goals are seared in my memory, the rest of that half is a swarm of orange jerseys and a blur of points. Armagh’s Stephen Harold and James Lavery out-muscled our midfield, claiming everything that came near them. We afforded them too much room and their distribution punished us for it, long passes poured forward. Clarke and the entire forward line ran rampant. They were clinical. Unforgiving.
We walked back to the dressing room in silence. 2-14 to 0-02. We knew the game was over, we knew our year was over. Glancing around, there was a collective acknowledgement, the second half was about damage control. As Harry [Murphy] said, looking at each of us, "It’s about pride now."
Armagh let the tempo drop, we worked on retaining the ball and the attacks we mounted in the second half were at times incisive, but ultimately fruitless. We did ourselves a little more justice, Power was tenacious, McGrath was dangerous and Johnny made a couple of great saves. The game though, finished 2-21 to 0-02.
With a gulf of 25 points between us at the whistle, that feeling of being completely overwhelmed by a side is one you don’t forget.
The current Wicklow squad is filled with lads who played that day. Hyland, Hayden, Paudge, Healy, Anto, Staff, McGrath and a few others will remember clearly what full time in that dressing room felt like. It’s an experience they won’t want to relive.
Under Magee and his team, the progress has been slow but steady. Watching this Wicklow team in action against Meath a couple weeks ago was heartening as a fan. We looked hungry, sharp and focused on a defined game-plan. Admittedly, Armagh are a bigger test than Meath, they will be licking their wounds after Donegal and out for redemption.
This Wicklow side can and should improve on 2013. How much of an improvement we see will indicate the level of progress achieved so far under Magee. I’m hopeful for another encouraging performance from this developing Wicklow squad.
Cill Mhantain Abu
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