League hopes still alive despite loss
THE Wicklow Senior hurlers’ National Hurling League ambitions are hanging by a thread after they suffered their second defeat of the campaign last weekend away to Mayo.
Wicklow must now beat Derry convincingly on Sunday in Joule Park, Aughrim, while also hoping that Mayo get the better of Down and Donegal topple Armagh.
Such a result would leave Wicklow, Down and Donegal on six points and leave progression relaint on score difference.
Wicklow manager Seamus Murphy says the chance of a play-off spot is a slim one but that at least it’s a chance and that it gives the Wicklow Senior hurlers a chance to bounce back from an unfortunate defeat to Mayo in Ballina at the weekend.
Coming off the back of a hard fought win against a very physical Donegal side in the last round there was an air of determination about this Wicklow side as they undertook the long journey to Ballina for what was a crucial game.
“We’re still alive,” said Murphy on Tuesday afternoon. “There’s still something in it for us”.
With Wicklow really needing a win to secure further progression in the competition, Seamus Murphy made three tactical changes for the game introducing Anto Byrne, Seanie Germaine and Christy Moorehouse to the starting team.
From the start it was clear that the Wicklow lads were in a tight game, but with Stephen Kelly marshalling the full-back line they repelled many early attacks.
Enda Donohoe had an early goal chance but was unlucky to find Mayo keeper Donal O’Brien in his way.
Mayo settled quickest and had three points on the board from Kieran McDermott, a Kenny Feeney free and Patrick Kiely before Wicklow got into their stride with a brace of points apiece from Andy O’Brien and Anto Byrne putting Wicklow ahead.
O’Brien registered another point from a free before Mayo responded with points from Cathal Freeman and another from McDermott to level the sides again.
Feeney added another pointed free but Wicklow were fast getting to grips with the game.
Garry Byrne sent a cross field ball to Padraig Doyle who was fouled as he set himself to shoot. The resultant free was taken by Doyle himself and as his free dropped short Andy O’Brien rose on the edge of the square and in doing so distracted the Mayo net minder who looked on forlornly as the ball dropped into the back of the net.
From the poc out Wicklow pow- ered forward and Andy gladly accepted the opportunity to put Wicklow three points ahead with 23 minutes of the half gone.
Back came Mayo and it was Keith Higgins who finally broke free from Stephen Kelly to pop the ball over the bar.
Sean Mulroy added another but the good Mayo support had no time to enjoy the score as Wicklow broke forward again with Eamon Kearns setting up a neat inter-passing movement between Christy Moorehouse Snr and Enda Donohoe sending the latter clear and he made up for his earlier miss by lashing the ball to the back of the Mayo net to give Wicklow a four point lead.
Points from Andy O’Brien and Danny Staunton came either side of two Kenny Feeney pointed frees to maintain the gap.
Wicklow were looking full value for the lead and should probably have increased the advantage when one of the talking points of the game came about with Anto Byrne seemingly receiving a very late and dangerous pull across his head.
As Byrne fell to the ground the expected free did not materialise as the referee waved play on. Brian Morley broke through the gap in the Wicklow rearguard and lashed the ball to the back of the Wicklow net.
More bad luck fell on Wicklow when following the poc out, Seanie Germaine sent Andy O’Brien clear but his rasping shot came back off the crossbar and Christy Moorhouse who was following up looked on in despair as Mayo keeper Donal O’Brien recovered to block his goal-bound shot.
The ball finally fell to Danny Staunton who made no mistake in taking his point.
Mayo got through for their final point of the half from Sean Regan before Danny Staunton again pointed to send the teams into the half-time break with Wicklow leading by 2-10 to Mayo’s 1-11.
The second half opened with Keith Higgins dropping over a well worked point, but Wicklow were well in command and all over the field you could see their determination as the lads worked their socks off.
None was more to the fore than Ronan Keddy who was cleaning up around the middle of the park setting up waves of attack on the Mayo goal.
Andy O’Brien kept up his scoring streak with a pointed 65 and another pointed free.
Keddy weighed in with two well worked points and it looked like Wicklow had the measure of the game, but Mayo were in no mood to relinquish the points on home soil and they reduced the margin with points from Patrick Keily and another Kenny Feeney free before Andy O’Brien put over another Wicklow point from a placed ball.
Higgins with two points and another Feeney pointed free reduced the margin to one point before controversy struck again.
Wicklow had a line ball and when the referee adjudged that Christy Moorehouse was taking too long with the cut he brought the ball in for a throw in.
Anto Byrne stepped in to contest but was judged to be too reckless with his pull and received the ultimate sanction when the referee flashed a red card for the offence and with a good ten minutes remaining on the clock it was advantage Mayo.
Feeney put over the resultant free but once again it was Ronan Keddy who won the poc out and sent Andy clear to put Wicklow back in charge.
Sport can be cruel and a bit of luck is very often the key element in deciding the result of a game.
Wicklow were beginning to run out of luck as they struggled to cover for the missing man. A slip up in the half-back line resulted in another Mayo free and resulted in Feeney pointing to level the game.
Mayo finally hit the front on the 28th minute with Feeney adding points from play and another free.
Ironically it was a man with strong Wicklow ties who applied the coup de grâce when substitute Bobby Douglas (Son of former Newtown great Mick) fired over the closing point of the game.
The result sees Mayo into the play-off final for promotion while Wicklow must beat Derry convincingly on Sunday and hope that Mayo beat Down and Donegal beat Armagh to leave the second play-off spot coming down to score difference.
Scorers - Wicklow: Andy O’Brien 0-09 (4f, 1 65); Daniel Staunton 0-03; Padraig Doyle 1-00; Enda Donohoe 1-00; Anto Byrne 0-02; Ronan Keddy 0-02.
Mayo: Kenny Feeney 0-10 (9f), Keith Higgins 0-04, Brian Morley 1-00, Patrick Kiely 0-02, Kieran McDermott 0-02, Cathal Freeman 0-01, Sean Mulroy 0-01, Sean Regan 0-01, Bobby Douglas 0-01.
Wicklow: Bob Fitzgerald, Stephen Kelly, Seanie Germaine, Martin O’Brien, Gary Byrne, Warren Kavanagh (Capt), John Henderson, Ronan Keddy, Christy Moorhouse(Bray), Padraig Doyle, Daniel Staunton, Eamon Kearns, Enda Donohoe, Andy O’Brien, Anto Byrne. Subs: Jamie Byrne for Enda Donohoe; Peter Keane for Christy Moorhouse; Gerry Connors for Seanie Germaine (All SH).
Mayo: Donal O’Brien, Daniel Huane; Conor Daly; Brian Hunt; Michael Morley; David Kenny; Cathal Freeman; Sean Regan; Kieran McDermott; Brian Morley; Kenny Feeney; Patrick Kiely; Shane Boland; Keith Higgins; Sean Mulroy. Subs: Corey Swahili for Shane Boland; Conor Henry for Daniel Huane; John Cotter for Kieran McDermott; Bobby Douglas for Sean Mulroy, Conor Murray for David Kenny.
Referee: Kevin McGeeney