Poor first half costs Wicklow Offaly survive to win Division 4 final
at Swords
right wing, with a sudden injection of pace tearing the defence apart for the goal. McGillycuddy’s late 20-yard free made little impression on the half-time scoreline – 1-8 to 0-4.
Wicklow certainly lifted their game after the break but the effect was not immediate.
‘The early concession of a goal and a point had them facing an 11-point deficit with Offaly seemingly cruising.
‘But they hadn’t anticipated the ‘Anne Mac’ inspired comeback.
‘The Offaly keeper let her 21yard free drop into the corner of the net and it was the catalyst for Wicklow’s revival.
Finally things began to go their way with the break of the ball favouring Wicklow the way it had Offaly in the first half.
‘An eight-minute purple patch yielded 1-5 without reply to bring them right back into the game.
‘Leah Horan, Eithne Byrne and McGillycuddy took points to cut into Offaly’s lead.
But just as it seemed Wicklow were going to run away with the match Offaly worked the ball upfield for a point to break the monopoly.
‘Again, the sides swapped points for a couple of minutes until points from Éadaoine Lenihan and Chrissie Shortt had the gap down to two.
‘But the final twist came when Offaly goalkeeper Stacey Egan made a fantastic point-blank save from Elaine Murphy.
Offaly seized the opportunity to break and grabbed two insurance scores, and McGillycuddy’s late last point just wasn’t enough.
Three points was the final margin, a fair reflection on the game.
Wicklow had little time to dwell on the defeat.
Dublin awaited them in the championship the following Sunday.
Wicklow: Emer Miley (Valleymount); Adrienne O’Connor (Clara), Orla Donohue (Kilbride), Caroline Ryan (Kilbride); Lisa Brady (Bray Emmets), Aisling Ó hÁinnaidh (Bray Emmets), Liz Cullen (Clara); Éadaoine Lenihan (Bray Emmets) (0-1), Debbie Green (Valleymount); Jessica
Carroll (Blessington) (0-3), Eithne Byrne (Kilcoole) (0-1), Deirdre O’Riordain (Kilbride); Chrissie Shortt (An Tochar) (0-1), Anne McGillycuddy (An Tochar) (1-6), Jean Duffy (Kilbride). Subs: Leah Horan (Éire Óg) (0-1), Elaine Murphy (Blessington), Nicola Donohue (Kilbride), Ciara O’Hagan (Bray Emmets), Nicole Fitzgerald (An Tochar), Aoife Heffernan (Bray Emmets), Mary Whelan (Blessington), Tracey Doyle (Kilbride), Lorna O’Gorman (An Tochar).