After the final whistle in O’Moore Park, Kildare gathered for a long-awaited post-victory celebration in the middle of the field.
It was a welcomed relief from so much suffering, in this season and this game. Then the rain started to pour.
Most of them lingered in the shower anyway. Niall Kelly was whisked away for his man of the match award after kicking 0-3 and feeding Jack Sargent for the last-gasp winning point.
At that stage, Kildare were down to 13 men and the devoted Lilywhite followers had been put through a tortuous final quarter.
Kevin Flynn was deservedly sent off in the first half when his mistimed and poorly executed shoulder caught Patrick O’Keane high.
Eoin Doyle received a black card with the clock in the red. At the time, Kildare led by three, but Doyle was turned over and conceded a penalty for dragging down Kevin Quinn in a desperate scramble.
Suddenly it was level and Wicklow had a numerical advantage and all the momentum.
How was Kildare’s heart holding up? Well, it was about to be subject to the ultimate examination.
This time Paddy Woodgate was turned over by the outstanding Dean Healy. Wicklow broke and Mark Donnellan was out of his goal. Matt Nolan went for a long-range green flag when a well-worked white would have done just fine. It bounced just wide.
“Hard to put into words really,” summarised Glenn Ryan post-match. “But the one thing that you do take out is it could have been very easy after the few months we’ve had, and after the way the last couple of minutes went from our own perspective, for fellas to sit back and say, ‘Well, not again, here we go’ and let it happen.
“Jesus, it took huge resolve for them to go down and win the kickout, be patient enough to work an opportunity – and then to take it.”
The man who won that last kickout was their driving force all day. Kevin Feely finished with 0-7, two from play. He kicked four with his left and three with his right. He provided the kick-pass assist for Darragh Kirwan’s last score.
Few players have been as dependable for their county throughout their career.
If it was a painful afternoon for Kildare, it will be a stinging night for Wicklow. Eoin Murtagh missed out due to injury. O’Keane passed a morning fitness test and was superb, cutting through in the first-half for a superb score.
They trailed 0-7 to 0-9 at half-time having played against the breeze. They still allowed Kildare to rattle off three in row after the turnaround.
The underdogs still had a chance to close the gap to two midway through the half yet Kevin Quinn dropped a simple free short.
Substitute Gearoid Murphy brought them to within two with 15 minutes remaining only for Feely to respond by creating a point and scoring another.
Before that, Donnellan drove a long kickout over the sideline and Wicklow lumped it right back on top of Doyle to squander the chance.
Oisín McConville’s side now make for the Tailteann Cup. Kildare will take on Louth in the Leinster SFC semi-final. The only guarantee in that game is that it will not be boring.
Scorers for Kildare: Kevin Feely 0-7 (5 frees), Niall Kelly 0-3, Darragh Kirwan 0-2, Paddy Woodgate 0-2 (1 free), Aaron Masterson 0-1, Jack Sargent 0-1.
Scorers for Wicklow: Oisin McGraynor 1-1 (1 free, 1 penalty), Chris O’Brien 0-2, Kevin Quinn 0-2 free, Dean Healy 0-2, Patrick O’Keane 0-1, Tom Moran 0-1, Darragh Fee 0-1, John Paul Nolan 0-1, Gearoid Murphy 0-1.
Kildare: M Donnellan; R Burke, M O’Grady, S Ryan; J Sargent, E Doyle, P McDermott; A Masterson, K Flynn; A Beirne, N Kelly, S Farrell; K Feely, D Kirwan, D Flynn.
Subs: B Byrne for O’Grady (24 – Inj) P Woodgate for Feely (28-31, temp), Woodgate for Feely (35-37, temp), Woodgate for D Flynn (35 - Inj), T Archbold for McDermott (62), H O’Neill for Byrne (64 – Inj), S O’Sullivan for Farrell (70), R Houlihan for Ryan (70-73 temp).
Red card: Kevin Flynn (30).
Wicklow: S Doyle; T Moran, M Stone, C McDonald; M Nolan, P O’Keane, G Fogarty; D Healy, C Maguire; D Fee, J Kirwan, C O’Brien; J Nolan, K Quinn, J Carlin.
Subs: J Prendergast for O’Keane (31-33, temp), G Murphy for Carlin (33), O McGraynor for Maguire (62), Prendergast for O’Keane (92-64 – temp), Prendergast for Kirwan (70).
Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary)
