St Vincent’s went into this one as 1-16 favourites. They came out of it with their tail between their legs.
Wicklow champions Rathnew reeled off 1-3 without reply in the last 16 minutes of Sunday’s Leinster quarter against St Vincent’s to cause the shock of the club Championship so far.
Vincent’s, one of the favourites for the club All-Ireland before a ball was kicked in Aughrim, were second best throughout, but when Mossy Quinn rattled the net in the 43rd minute to give them a two-point cushion, it looked for all the world as if they were going to kick on and assert themselves on the game.
They didn’t register a score from that moment until the final whistle, as Rathnew marched on to win on a scoreline of 1-13 to 1-9.
Instead, it was the hungrier Rathnew who grabbed this quarter-final by the scruff of the neck, and they powered on when it mattered most.
It was a Wicklow legend who lead the charge, with James Stafford, who retired from the inter-county scene last year after a decade-long career, scoring 1-2 from play in this defining last quarter.
The towering midfielder was responsible for the last three scores of the game, providing a barnstorming cameo of direct running, an innate ability to regain possession and an insatiable will to win on his way to that crucial goal and two points.
Stafford was a credit to his club, his county and to himself, but so, too was each and every player in a Rathnew jersey as they defied everybody to claim one of the most improbable scalps of the year.
The gaelic football world reacted with predictable shock to Vincent’s first loss in Leinster since 1982.
That’s the beauty of the GAA – on any given day, even the best can be taken down.
Jesus fair play to rathnew on beating Vincent's that's some achievement hats off to them👏🏻
— eoin (@Eoinmcaulay) November 12, 2017
Harry Murphy, Rathnew manager, a credit. Over 40 years of service to his club as player and few stints as manager. Way it used to be, way it should be.
— Kieran Cunningham (@KCsixtyseven) November 12, 2017
Holy shit, that’s some result for Rathnew. My preview couldn’t have been more wrong.
— Malachy Clerkin (@MalachyClerkin) November 12, 2017
Not a massive surprise in Wicklow, Rathnew have done us proud in the past and continue to do so
— Stephen Wilkinson (@SAWilkinson987) November 12, 2017
There won’t be a cow milked in Wicklow for a week.
Great win for Rathnew just goes to show anyone can win on any given day but on the plus side for Dublin all there players get a good rest for the summer roll on 4 in a row 😎 #TheToughest
— Glen Archbold (@glenarchbold) November 12, 2017
Great result in Aughrim, Rathnew 1-13, St Vincent's 1-9. Well done, great result for Wicklow GAA!!
— Andrew Doyle (@AndrewTDoyle) November 12, 2017
