by James McMahon
Wicklow, more often than not, have proven to be doughty opponents on their home patch in Aughrim, and Waterford won’t be relishing a trip to the Garden county on Saturday.
Many pundits fancied Harry Murphy’s outfit to get past Meath in their Leinster opener, but they failed to build on a good start and the Royals were full value for their five-point win in the end. In saying that, Wicklow did create chances throughout, but ultimately weren’t as economical as their rivals.
Waterford had a decent league campaign which saw them defeat Limerick and their rivals this weekend. Yet, their championship bow against the former on 20 May resulted in an 11-point defeat, characterised by the failure to score in the second-half.
No doubt, they missed Gary Hurney’s influence after he suffered a broken jaw in a club match. It is hoped the player will feature in Aughrim. Mark Ferncombe will again be expected to carry the scoring burden as John Owens’ side aim for another decent run in the qualifiers after getting to round three last year.
Leighton Glynn’s ankle injury picked up in the Meath game obviously dented Wicklow’s hopes the last day. He is unlikely to see action again this summer, while away at the Euro 2012 tournament, Ciaran Hyland also sustained an ankle injury – a setback that my limit his availability against the Déise.
Taking injuries into account, Wicklow would appear to have the greater scoring threat in the shape of Tony Hannon, Seanie Furlong and the impressive youngster Conor McGraynor.
In recent years, the Garden county have enjoyed decent back door campaigns, with some notable performances against the likes of Down, Kildare and Armagh.
A win on Saturday could kickstart another lengthy foray of summer action depending on the vagaries of the draw. A year that already has a league title in the bag could get even better, with Waterford’s best efforts not enough at this juncture to spoil the party.
Verdict: Wicklow
