Main pic: Jonny Carlin with proud parents, Declan and Shauna, after Saturday’s dramatic Wicklow IFC final.
One year to the day from rupturing his ACL, former Red Hughs’ clubman Jonny Carlin netted an injury time penalty to land the Wicklow Intermediate Football Championship title for his adopted Barndarrig.
In what could only be described as a heroic comeback, the Cross man also earned the Man of the Match trophy for his efforts in the 1-08 to 2-04 victory over Annacurra in Saturday’s decider in Echelon Park Aughrim.
The Donegal native’s strike, according to the Wicklow People, was effectively the last act in an ‘insane’ period of injury time at the end of a brutally intense IFC decider. With everyone present in the grounds absolutely convinced that Frank Clune had snatched victory for Annacurra when he rolled home past Aaron Jackson after 63 minutes to leave the scoreboard reading 2-4 to 0-7. Barndarrig pulled back another point to leave them just two points adrift – 2-04 to 0-8.
Jonny Carlin with his Man of the Match trophy.
However, a 66th minute incident in the small square saw Barndarrig awarded a dramatic penalty.
“There’s no shortage of leaders on the Barndarrig side, but it’s Jonny Carlin who reaches for the ball,” the Wicklow People reports.
“The left-footed attacker steps back and faces a goalkeeper in the form of his life in both codes. Not a single breath is taken in Echelon Park Aughrim.
Here comes Carlin, and he delivers a rocket to the bottom corner of Bob Fitzgerald’s net, sending the Annacurra man the wrong way – 36 minutes on the clock. The kick-out is won by Barndarrig down under the stand and the final whistle sounds.”
Indeed, Carlin is no stranger when it comes to dramatic goals. He landed a peach at the tail end of the 2018 Ulster Junior Final when Red Hughs overcame Limavady Wolfhounds.
Of course, he comes from good sporting stock. His mother Shauna was an elite athlete with the Finn Valley AC and competed for Ireland while father Declan was a key member of the famous Red Hughs side of the early 1990s.
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