Brave Wicklow fall
Sending off and missed opportunities prove costly
WICKLOW will have spent the long journey back home from Ballinamore wondering just how they didn’t go home with something from Sunday’s Lidl LGFA Division 4 clash with Leitrim as they squandered two great goal chances in added time of a game played in atrocious conditions.
What made Wicklow’s performance all the more remarkable was the fact that they played for well over 40 minutes a player down after powerful midfielder Aoife Gorman was harshly issued with a straight red card in the first half, a decision that mystified both sets of fans in Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin.
Gorman’s absence on a tough day for football told its tale as Leitrim always had a player back to hold down the fort and despite a fabulous display of kicking from Sinead McGettigan, Wicklow were never able to generate the momentum they needed to take what would have been at least a deserved share of the spoils.
With Wicklow chasing hard late on, substitute Roisin Byrne put a great chance wide when put clear through while Sarah Jane Winders intercepted a kickout and lobbed a wonderful effort over the head of the retreating keeper only to see it come crashing back off the crossbar and away to safety.
It was tough on Wicklow, but the damage was done in the first half as they conceded three goals in the opening 17 minutes.
The home side were finding it tough to break down a disciplined Wicklow defence but three goals gave Leitrim a cushion and Wicklow were never able to break it down.
For most of the game, Wicklow were the better team but the concession of four goals was just too much of a burden for them to overcome.
Gorman’s dismissal on a straight red card after just 22 minutes caught everyone by surprise. The Tinahely midfielder appeared to be fouled as she tried to break free of a challenge, but a swinging arm was judged by Roscommon referee Aaron Clogher to merit the ultimate sanction, something that left even the Leitrim fans bemused.
Sinead McGettigan gave an exhibition of kicking, both from play and placed balls, while Sarah Jane Winders, Niamh Cullen, Sarah Evans and Ella Parke carried the contest to a Leitrim team who reached last year’s Division 4 Final and the knockout stages of the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship.
Wicklow opened the scoring thanks to a Niamh Caffrey free after just 50 seconds but despite a strong start for the visitors, Leitrim rocked them back on their heels six minutes in when Elise Bruen broke through from 40 yards out, soloed through and picked her spot in the net for a big goal.
The visitors responded well, Aoife Gorman firing over a nice point after good work from Aoife Kavanagh and Caffrey but Leitrim again hit back with a goal but not without a bit of drama as Leah Fox drove her spot-kick against the post, the ball coming back into the arms of Wicklow keeper Ellen Griffin on 12 minutes, the penalty after a foul on Ailbhe Clancy.
But Fox made spectacular amends as she twisted and turned after good work from Bruen and Niamh Tighe, producing a wonderful finish for Leitrim’s second goal. It was almost three when Vivienne Egan tried to divert the ball past Griffin, but the Wicklow keeper made a good save, Fox shooting wide from the loose ball.
But the third came seconds later, Egan breaking through on the wing, seemingly losing control of the ball only to pull and find the far corner, leaving Leitrim an incredible 3-0 to 0-2 ahead.
Niamh Cullen and Ailbhe Clancy swapped points, but the game took an even bigger turn when Wicklow’s powerful midfielder Aoife Gorman was given a straight red card from referee Aaron Clogher of Roscommon, most fans judging it very harsh as the Tinahely woman was penalised for a swinging arm.
Leitrim hit two points from Clancy and Michelle Guckian, but Wicklow responded with good scores from Cullen and Sinead McGettigan (free) to leave the halftime score at 3-3 to 0-5 in
Leitrim’s favour.
Whatever advantage there may have been in the crossfield wind was Wicklow’s in the second half and after McGettigan swapped frees with Michelle Guckian, the Garden County started to make inroads into Leitrim’s lead with Sarah Jane Winders and McGettigan, from a 50-yard free, finding the target.
Despite being a player short, Wicklow were starting to dominate and two more McGettigan points, one a long-range free and the second a brilliant effort from the corner, cut Leitrim’s seven-point lead back to a goal after 11 minutes of the second half.
Leitrim’s response was the winning of the game - Guckian converted a free before Leah Fox pounced for a superb solo solo right on the three-quarter mark, a score that left Leitrim 4-5 to 0-10 in front and seemingly home and hosed.
But Wicklow refused to lie down, McGettigan would hit three more frees in the next eight minutes while also missing a chance. Crucially, Wicklow got a boost when Leitrim substitute Eimear Quigley was sent to the sin-bin, although McGettigan would skim the outside of the post with the resulting free.
The Wicklow centre-forward would make amends with a superb point from play to leave a goal between the teams with Lizzie Bourke seeing a low shot saved by Leitrim keeper Michelle Monaghan.
Leitrim gave themselves some breathing room when Michelle Guckian converted a free in the last minute of normal time, but a battling Wicklow refused to give up and they should have goaled when they put together a great move in to get in behind the Leitrim defence only for substitute Niamh O’Brien to put her shot inches wide with only the keeper to beat.
McGettigan missed a good chance to cut the gap to three but from the kickout, Sarah Jane Winders intercepted a poor kickout but her spectacular effort for a goal came back off the post as Leitrim cleared the danger.
Wicklow would add yet another McGettigan free, but Leitrim were able to hold on as the final whistle sounded seconds later.