Wicklow come from behind to win Nickey Rackard Cup for first time
CHRISTY RING CUP WINNERS: Wicklow were crowned champions after storming from behind to beat two time winners Donegal. Pic: ©INPHO/Ken Sutton
In their one and only season at Nickey Rackard Cup level, Wicklow were crowned champions after storming from behind to beat two time winners Donegal.
In their first season down from the Christy Ring competition above, the Garden county made a swift return, but they were made to work all the way by Mícheál Mac Cann’s plucky underdogs.
Donegal looked on course to repeat the feats of 2013 and 2020 until replacement David Maloney gave Wicklow their first lead in the final as late as the 56th minute.
That score came in the midst of a six point match winning run from the victorious Leinster men. The scoring onslaught not only decided the showpiece, but highlighted Wicklow’s depth and superiority built up from years of playing at a higher level.
Donegal were valiant right up to that point but, out on their feet and the impact of four of the six scores came from the Wicklow bench was telling. The sequence was aptly finished by top scorer on the day Christy Moorehouse.
Wicklow won the last meeting to top the table but you could tell from the off that Donegal would not be overawed and used their greater big day experience to take the early initiative.
Ryan Hilferty’s low shot was so accurate, it nestled into the bottom right corner in front of the hill to the surprise of everyone, bar Hilferty himself.
With Ronan McDermott excelling at full forward he set up Liam McKinney to make the shock a strong possibility with his side's second goal to make it 2-8 to 0-10 at the turn.
With Moorehouse keeping Casey O’Brien’s troops in tow, they found any other level when they needed it most.
Donegal’s top scorer and goalkeeper Luke White did fire home a free in the frantic finish, but the easiest way back up is usually found in the first season and Wicklow proved that adage once again.
: L White 1-2 (1-1f, 1’65) R McDermott 0-3, L McKinney 1-1, R Hilferty 1-0, J O’Loughlin, B McIntyre, R Campbell, D Cullen, G Gilmore (sl) and C McDermott 0-1 each
: C Moorehouse 0-9 (5f), A O’Brien 1-1, D Staunton (sl), S Germaine and L Evans 0-2 each,, P Doyle, E McCormack, D Maloney and M Boland 0-1 each
: L White; P Doherty, D Cullen, S McBride; C McDermott, M Donaghue, G Browne, J O’Loughlin, S Gillespie; L McKinney, R Hilferty, C Gartland; R Campbell, R McDermott, G Gilmore.
B McIntyre for C McDermott (43), S Ward for Gartland (46), R Ryan for Campbell (49),C Bradley for Hilferty (58), O Marley for Gilmore (69).
: C McNally; B Kearney, A Kavanagh, M O’Brien; P Doran, J Henderson, S O’Dowd; J Doyle, D Masterson; D Maloney, E McCormack, L Evans; C Moorehouse, A O’Brien, M Boland.
: S Germaine for Boland (27), D Staunton for Masterson (ht), M Traynor for O’Dowd (ht), G Weir for O’Brien (49), P Doyle for Evans (59).
: J Clarke (Cavan)
