Antrim win Tommy Murphy Cup

ANTRIM 3-12 WICKLOW 1-15, Croke Park

Antrim avenged last year's Tommy Murphy Cup final defeat as a strong final-quarter display saw them overcome Wicklow at Croke Park.

Probably the last ever game in the Tommy Murphy Cup - it was agreed to scrap the second tier competition at last April's GAA Congress - finished in agonising fashion for Wicklow.

Trailing by a goal in the 74th-minute, a dipping free from Wicklow's Tony Hannon failed to force the levelling score as Antrim stood firm for a well-merited win.

A hat-trick of second quarter goals in a ten-minute spell powered Jody Gormley's men into a lead that they battled hard to hold onto.

The match winners possessed a lethal full-forward line, which bagged 3-06 between them and helped pave the way for this historic Croke Park success.

Thomas McCann, Kevin Brady and Ciaran Close all netted for Antrim in the second-quarter, although the Ulster side did kick some worrying wides.

The game was littered with missed opportunities, and although Antrim led by three points at the interval, they had sent seven efforts wide of the posts before the break.

Wicklow showed greater urgency in the opening stages and led by 1-05 to 0-04 at the end of the first quarter with Seanie Furlong claiming his side's early goal.

The Wicklow attack sprung to life right from the throw-in with John McGrath creating the first goal chance after just 50 seconds.

The half-forward won the breaking ball at midfield, and pumped it inside to full-forward Furlong who managed to slot home past Sean McGreevey.

Wicklow continued to get on top in the midfield sector but their forwards were met by a strong Antrim defence which, despite that early lapse, really came to the fore as the opening half progressed.

Wing-back Tony Scullion was the lynchpin as the Saffrons turned a four-point deficit after 17 minutes, into a 3-06 to 1-09 interval lead.

Despite Scullion failing to convert a score in the opening half, the Clann na hEireann clubman gave a tireless display in open play.

He dragged Wicklow half-forward Paul Earls into the heart of his own defence and was involved in Antrim's first goal in the 23rd-minute.

A quick-thinking Antrim attack got into full flow with Ciaran Close dispossessing Wicklow corner back Alan Byrne, before laying the ball off to Scullion.

The defender was then able to picked out the towering figure of Kevin Brady inside and he picked his spot past Mervyn Travers.

Both sides saw opportunities go wide of the target, before Close was again involved to square up the contest for the first time.

Close was on fire from all angles in the closing stages of the half, and completed the Antrim hat-trick in the 32nd-minute as he side moved five points ahead.

Leighton Glynn, Wicklow's attack-minded half-back, showed great energy going forward to take two first half points the defending champions cut the deficit to three by half-time.

Following a memorable end to the first half, both sides disappointingly misfired on the resumption, as the game once again lost momentum.

Underfoot conditions were now slippery with rain bursting through the cloud cover, but this failed to dampen Wicklow spirits.

A brace of Hannon points in a three-minute spell cut the gap to the minimum by the 44th-minute - Antrim looked shaky at 3-06 to 1-11.

Wicklow had a succession of opportunities to land an equalising score over the following nine minutes.

But as the game entered the final quarter, Hannon and Furlong both missed kickable shots, while Antrim also fluffed their lines in front of goal.

Despite this, Antrim managed to quickly regroup and they outscored their opponents by three points to one over the next seven minutes, putting Wicklow on the back-foot.

Scores from Furlong and Hannon cut the gap to two points with as many minutes remaining.

However, a late Wicklow surge failed to make an impact as Antrim held on to become the first team to take the Tommy Murphy Cup north of the border.

ANTRIM: S McGreevey; C Brady, A McClean, P Conlon; T Scullion, T Convery, K O'Boyle; P Doherty, M McCann (0-04, 0-01f); P Close, J Crozier, B Hasson (0-02); T McCann (1-04, 0-01 '45'), K Brady (1-00), C Close (1-02).

Subs used: M Magill for McCann (33-35 mins, blood sub), M Magill for O'Boyle (45), M McCarry for Doherty (52), G Bell for Close (70+2).

WICKLOW: M Travers; C Hyland, D Power, A Byrne; R Nolan, D O hAnnaidh, L Glynn (0-03); J Stafford, T Walsh (0-01); J McGrath, T Hannon (0-06, 0-03f, 0-01 '45'), P Earls (0-01, 0-01f); C Walshe (0-02), S Furlong (1-02, 0-01f), D Daly.

Subs used: P Dalton for Byrne (half-time), D Hayden for McGrath (61 mins).

Referee: Vincent Neary (Mayo)