Wicklow Boss Targets Tailteann Cup Glory As Down Challenge Looms At Croke Park

'It's not worth a big pile unless we actually go and win it' says the positive Wicklow boss

Oisín McConville has told Wicklow supporters that a place in Saturday's Tailteann Cup final is only worth celebrating if his side go all the way, as the Garden County prepare to face 2024 winners Down at Croke Park.

Speaking at a media event ahead of the game, the Wicklow manager was clear that reaching a first-ever final in the competition is not the end goal in itself.

Reflecting on a squad that has come up short in big moments before, McConville said the setbacks have shaped a team now ready to push on.

"That's the last piece of the jigsaw," he said of replacing performance with results. "It's great to be in a Tailteann Cup final but it's not worth a big pile unless we actually go and win it."

Fans have earned this

The Armagh man was keen to stress that Saturday's occasion is as much about the Wicklow supporters as it is the players, pointing to the backing the county has given the team through lean years.

He described the fan support over the past two seasons as a major driving force behind the group, saying it's given him and his players the belief to keep pushing for a breakthrough.

The manager suggested that a big performance on Saturday would be as much a reward for the people in the stands as for those out on the pitch.

Wicklow midfield maestro Dean Healy

Building blocks of belief

Wicklow's route to the final has been a slow burn under McConville. Since he took charge, the county has progressed from failing to escape their Tailteann Cup group, to reaching the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals, and now — for the first time — a national final.

That journey through repeated near-misses, McConville explained, is exactly where the group has drawn its steel from.

Hard losses, he said, are usually what forges resilience, and Wicklow's have convinced the squad they belong at this level — the challenge now is turning that self-belief into silverware.

The platform for this final came in stunning fashion. Wicklow trailed Offaly by eight points at half-time in their semi-final before roaring back to win by five, outscoring their opponents 1-17 to 1-04 after the break.

McConville called it the finest half of football his side have produced during his four seasons in charge, and admitted he was reluctant to make substitutions given the momentum his team had built.

Respect for the champions

Down are firm favourites, chasing a third Tailteann Cup final appearance in four seasons and looking to add to their 2024 title.

The 2002 All-Ireland winner knows well as an Armagh man how string they are having closely studied their run to Croke Park, including a dominant Ulster display against Donegal.

With a wry grin after the Offaly win, he made clear he knows exactly what Wicklow are up against this weekend, having watched Down dismantle Donegal on their way to the decider.

Tailteann Cup 

The tactical battle

With warm conditions forecast for the weekend, the Crossmaglen has identified controlling the restarts as central to how the game will be won and lost.

He views kick-outs as the single most important battleground in modern football, describing them as the foundation from which teams build control of a match.

Wicklow will look to dominate possession from their own restarts while accepting that turnovers are inevitable, with patience likely to be just as valuable as the attacking fireworks that got them here.

The bigger picture

For a manager with an extraordinary record in finals — reportedly just three defeats in over 60 as player and manager combined — Saturday represents new territory in a different sense: a first tilt at a national title with a county still building its football identity.

Throw-in for the Tailteann Cup final between Down and Wicklow is Saturday at Croke Park.

Tune into East Coast FM  for full live coverage this Saturday with commentary from Michael Sargent and analysis with Colm Doyle ahead of Saturday's throw-in time of 3.30pm