'BRING on the ol' Dubs' was the battlecry from Mick O'Dwyer following another sensational victory for Wicklow in Aughrim yesterday. Everything the old maestro touches in the Garden County is turning to gold right now and you can't buy this kind of publicity. Supporters are delirious, sponsors are rubbing their hands with glee and county board officials are leaning back in their seats with smug grins etched across their faces.

And in one local school, primary school children were asked to write a two-page essay on last Saturday's historic win against Carlow.

More importantly, the confidence coursing through the veins of Wicklow's reenergised players will take them into a competitive Division 2B of the Allianz NFL in good heart next month. But before all that, an unexpected O'Byrne Cup semi final beckons, against Leinster champions Dublin or their predecessors Westmeath, who meet this afternoon in Mullingar. And once again, the match will be staged in Aughrim, fast becoming a graveyard for higher-ranked opponents with inflated egos.

They did it the hard way at the same venue seven days before, snatching victory with an injury time goal against Carlow, and they dug just as deep for another memorable victory against much stiffer opposition. Division 1 league finalists from 2005, Wexford arrived in town itching for a game after first Kilkenny and then Dundalk IT pulled out of their original fixtures, but Paul Bealin's men ran into a welcome that was certainly not neighbourly. In fact, Wexford failed to score in the first half and with full forward Paul Earls in sparkling form with four first half points, three from play, the home side led 05 to 0-0 at the break.

But with a driving wind at their backs, the visitors were back on terms just 13 minutes after the restart. It looked bleak for Wicklow but Wexford didn't score again following Diarmuid Kinsella's 48th minute leveller. Wicklow dug in and with Matty Forde having one of those days in front of goal, Wexford let the chances that came their way slip by. Earls clipped over a 14-yard free 18 minutes from time, substitute Tony Hannon added another nine minutes from the end and Wicklow clung on for dear life.

"They played exceptionally well, " Micko beamed. "They showed great character in the second half, Wexford had come level and they looked like they were going to win.

"But Jesus, wherever our fellas got the resurrection from I don't know, they played like demons from there on, Tony Hannon got a great point which settled us. Overall, it was the fighting qualities which I'm delighted with. But we've a long way to go, I'm not losing the run of myself by any means, " O'Dwyer added.

On his return to competitive action following last summer's controversial three-month ban, Forde endured a miserable afternoon. He was tightly marked by Ciaran Hyland, one of seven Wicklow players yellow-carded by over-fussy referee Sean Carroll, and Forde's frustration boiled over just before half-time when he was booked. He scored 2-4 last weekend against the Purple and Gold Allstars but this was a game to forget. Kicking into a driving wind in the first half, Forde sliced two frees and it wasn't long before the home fans sensed the Kilanerin man's unease as they began to barrack the former All Star.

After half-time, it didn't get any easier. Forde added three more wides and the cat-calls grew louder. Bealin reflected:

"He (Forde) didn't kick the way he normally would but it's his first game of the year and he's bound to be rusty."

Before the game, O'Dwyer made four changes in personnel and a raft of positional switches from the line-up that started the Carlow match.

Earls has impressed in patches in the competition opener but making full use of the conditions, he landed four superb first half scores, the pick of the bunch a delicious 19th minute sideline kick swung over off his right boot.

But a five-point lead would never be enough on such a difficult day and Wexford wasted little time after half time in rectifying the situation, Kinsella's switch to full forward paying dividends with two scores. However, Wicklow under O'Dwyer are made of stern stuff. And with a 2,000 crowd roaring them home, two out of three forays into enemy territory yielded scores. It's O'Dwyer's magic dust you see. . .

WICKLOW J Bolger; C Hyland, D O'hAnnaidh, A Byrne; S Cushe, C Foley, N Martin; J Stafford, JP Dalton; J Slattery, S King, P Phibbs; L Glynn (0-1), P Earls (0-5, 1f, 1 45), J Daniels. Subs D Jackman for King (half-time), T Hannon (0-1) for Daniels, half-time; E Flynn for Phibbs, 60 mins; D Power for Martin, 70 mins WEXFORD A Masterson; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; D Byrne, D Murphy, G Molloy; R Stafford (0-1), D Kinsella (0-2); C Deely, G Coleman, E Bradley; A Morrissey, C Lyng, M Forde (0-1f). Subs P Hughes (0-1) for Coleman, 26 mins; B Malone for Morris, 31 mins; R Quinlivan for Bradley, 58 mins;

PJ Banville for Lyng, 63mins; A Flynn for Morrissey, 69 mins Referee S Carroll (Westmeath)