Agonising defeat for Minors
Brave Wicklow side showing huge signs of potential
WICKLOW MAYO 3-4 2-9
IT was a case of agonising last-minute heartbreak for the Wicklow Minor camogie team at Bray Emmets on Saturday afternoon as they failed to build on their first-round win over Louth in the All-Ireland ‘C’ Championship.
Leading by 3-4 to 1-8 with two minutes of injury time played, the home side were hit by a 1-1 sucker punch by Mayo prior to referee Barry Nea blowing the final whistle of this very entertaining contest.
With the Wicklow supporters on the brink of celebrating a second victory on the trot, there seemed little danger when impressive Mayo centre-forward Ava Lambert floated in what looked like a point attempt from about 50 metres range.
But unfortunately, Jenny Tyrrell, the hitherto very sound home goalkeeper, in attempting to catch the sliotar, allowed the tame delivery to slip from their grasp and over the line into the net, handing the visiting side a one-point advantage.
And before the end of the game, the Connacht outfit rubbed further salt into Wicklow wounds when midfielder Maebh Delaney landed a point from a long-range free, leaving her side two points winners.
However, despite the cruel way in which the match finished for the home side, Wicklow manager Matt Byrne exonerated goalkeeper Tyrrell from blame for his side’s defeat.
‘In fairness to Jenny – she’s from own club, Donard-The Glen – she’s a very good player and normally she’s an outfield player,’ he said afterwards.
‘But because of injuries, we were missing two goalkeepers, and so we put Jenny in goal. As we know, it’s a tough position, and Jenny has only played in goal the odd time and she had done very well prior to the late goal.
‘But sometimes that’s the way that sport turns out, and you have to accept that and prepare yourself for the next game as best as you can.’
Significantly, Mayo manager Sinead Muldoon was honest and sporting enough to admit that her side had been fortunate to come away from the Old Connaught Avenue venue with the spoils of victory.
‘Obviously we’re delighted with the win, but we probably felt there that we stole it in the end, and Wicklow will certainly feel that we stole it,’ admitted Muldoon, whose side began their lenghty bus trip from Mayo to Bray at 7.45 am on Saturday morning.
‘We were very lucky with the way the match turned out for us, but I suppose it’s a sign of our team that they kept their heads and kept battling away when we were two points down with only two minutes to go.
‘And when you hit in a high ball like that, anything can happen. As well, we conceded a similar type of goal in the first half.’
In a comment on his side’s performance, Matt Byrne said: ‘We were missing a number of girls today for various reasons, but the players we brought in as replacements did very well and they’ll be putting pressure on the missing girls for starting places for our next game, away to Tyrone in two weeks’ time.
‘I think the girls showed last week against Louth, up in Louth
Photo: Leigh Anderson
in terrible conditions, that they work really hard and that was shown once again today when Mayo, after playing against the wind in the first half, had built up a one point lead by half-time.
‘It looked additionally difficult for us when Mayo scored two points at the start of the second half, but our girls showed tremendous determination and spirit, and as the match wore on in the second half the girls got great confidence from the way they were playing.
‘And, of course, it eventually got to a stage where we put ourselves in with a great chance of winning the game until Mayo scored their late goal.’
Just two minutes had elapsed when Wicklow goalkeeper Tyrrell made a fine save from wing-wing-forward Fionnuala McLoughlin, but almost immediately Mayo opened the
scoring with a point from corner-forward Niamh Kennedy.
However, the home side quickly hit back with a brace of points from impressive wing-forward Katie Tyrrell, only for midfielder Maebh Delaney to level at 0-2 each after 11 minutes.
Kennedy then edged Mayo in front with a point, and on 20 minutes a tellingly incisive move saw McLoughlin, Ava Lambert and corner-forward Emer Delaney combine before the No 13 found the net with a low shot, putting her side 1-3 to 0-2 in front.
Almost immediately, goalkeeper Tyrrell made an excellent stop from Lambert, and on 25 minutes, a shot from centre-forward Lucy Rooney, which was parried by Mayo goalkeeper Anna Durkin, was fired to the net by inrushing corner-forward Saoirse Canavan, leaving the half-time score 1-3 to 1-2 in Mayo’s favour.
On the restart, the visiting side quickly added two points through Lambert, but on 35 minutes midfielder Jessica Maxwell reduced Wicklow’s deficit with a pointed free.
Soon after, Rooney had a goal attempt saved by Durkin, before sub Daisie-Summer Cullen-Dunne added another point for the Garden County on 42 minutes.
However, this score was quickly cancelled out with a point by Lambert, leaving the visitors 1-6 to 1-4 in front, before Katie Tyrrell raised Wicklow’s second green flag with 11 minutes left.
Just two minutes later, it was 3-4 to 1-6 for the home side, Cullen-Dunne finishing to the net, but that proved to be Wicklow’s last score.
In remaining time, Lambert and full-forward Eileen Tenner shot points before Lambert’s crucial goal and Delaney’s point left Mayo winners by the two point margin.
Scorers – Mayo: Ava Lambert 1-4, Emer Delaney 1-1, Niamh Delaney 0-2, Maebh Delaney 0-2 (1f).
Wicklow: Katie Tyrrell 1-2, Daisie-Summer Cullen-Dunne 1-1, Saoirse Canavan 1-0, Jessica Maxwell 0-1 (f).
Anna Durkin; Elizabeth Jordan, Caoimhe Delaney, Brona Joyce; Emily Kealy, Aoife Doherty, Niamh Greally; Maebh Delaney, Geri-Maye Harvey; Fionnuala McLoughlin, Ava Lambert, Claire Flanagan; Emer Delaney, Eileen Tenner, Niamh Kennedy.
MAYO: WICKLOW:
Moya Cremin, Maria Rafferty, Erin Byrne; Emma Doyle, Emma Murphy, Orla Waters; Jessica Maxwell, Emma Byrne; Kasey Byrne, Lucy Rooney, Katie Tyrrell; Saoirse Canavan, Lauren O’Reilly, Niamh Darker. Subs used: Daisie-Summer Cullen-Dunne, Roisin Murphy, Sarah Lambe.
REFEREE:
Barry Nea (Westmeath).