Definitely one for the anti round robin lobby to gloat over. It can only be assumed that had dismissal from the championship been the reality for the losers at Aughrim yesterday the levels of carelessness and sluggish input may not have reached such abysmal heights.
The match, watched by the sunsplashed 5,000 crowd was productive of an inordinate amount of 30 wides, Carlow, in the more benevolent mood, hitting 18 of them.
Rarely has Kevin O'Brien been seen in such low profile mode. He could not escape the criticism for one of Wicklow's most grotesque wides in the second half and was replaced in the closing minutes.
The crowd were clearly denied of the full-blooded contest that had been promised. Armagh referee Brendan O'Gorman who was, in keeping with practice, under official scrutiny by a Leinster council official, ticked off numerous players and brandished a number of yellow cards before giving Carlow's Anthony Kavanagh, a second-half substitute, a straight red.
To add to the bizarre nature of the exercise, Kavanagh was on the pitch only seven minutes when earning the ultimate sanction in the 53rd minute.
Coffey's worries about the character of his team multiplied after Kavanagh's dismissal for, although the extra man role in defence was played effectively by left corner back Tom Burke, Wicklow were seen as a team that was distinctly making heavy weather of putting 14-man Carlow away.
Instead, the poverty of the winner's forwards tended to be underlined more by an increased rate of possession.
"We just didn't click on the day and won playing badly," said Moses Coffey.
Playing into a light breeze in the first half, Wicklow over elaborated with the short game. Wicklow's two corner forwards Tommy Gill and Trevor Doyle repeatedly threatened but didn't always deliver. Carlow goalkeeper John Brennan was having a very comfortable afternoon having collected three short deliveries when Doyle changed all that with a great goal.
The Wicklow flyer took on the Carlow cover with a great run before unleashing a low shot inside the near post. That score should have been Doyle's second goal for, a few minutes earlier, he was sent clear following a dreadful mistake by Carlow full back Andrew Corden only to drive the ball over the bar.
Gill was equally at fault earlier when he wasted a goal scoring pass from Tony Hannon.
Hannon went it alone some minutes later to pick off the best score of the match, a huge point against the breeze from 50 yards.
Wicklow's Brian Whelan and Mark Coffey were the best of the backs.
Willie Quinlan, Phil Nolan and Ken Walker were some of the main culprits as Carlow seemed intent on kicking themselves out of contention with 10 first-half wides.
Wicklow's slender one-point advantage at half-time, 1-4 to 0-6, was the result of their own shortcomings and failure to accept golden gifts for goals. Carlow's wayward shooting equally contributed to the half-time score.
Much more was expected of Wicklow in the second half but it was Carlow who started to dominate at half back and midfield. The game rapidly deteriorated into a boring exercise. Carlow chalked up another four wides and Wicklow threatened to catch up on the wides tally. Mark Dowling, the Carlow place kicker, showed obvious annoyance when called ashore but he had just managed one of the worst shots at the Wicklow posts from play.
"Put in a couple of forwards," pleaded one irate Wicklow spectator. The pressure remained on Wicklow due to their own inability to penetrate the suspect Carlow cover.
To cap Carlow's tale of woe, they could manage only one second-half point from substitute Joe Byrne with only three minutes remaining.
WICKLOW: T Murphy; S Nolan, B O'Donovan, T Burke; B OhAnnaidh, M Coffey, B Whelan; B Sheehan, S O'Neil; T Harney (0-1), K O'Brien (0- 1, free); T Hannon (0-1); T Gill (0-2, one free), R Coffey (0-1), T Doyle (1-2). Sub: J O'Keeffe for O'Brien (70 mins).
CARLOW: J Brennan; J Kavanagh, A Corden, V Flemming; K Kelly, S Kavanagh (0-1), B O hAnnon; K Walker, P Nolan; W Quinlan, J Morrissey (0-1), Pat Nolan; J Nevin (0-1), R Donnelly (0-1), M Dowling (0-2 one free). Subs: A Kavanagh for Pat Nolan (45 mins); J Byrne (0-1) for Dowling (48 mins); J McGrath for Phil Nolan (57 mins).
Referee: B O'Gorman (Armagh).
