Tyrone Minor Camogs lose out to goal hungry Wicklow

Tyrone 1-8  Wicklow 5-8

THE Tyrone Minor Camogs’ valiant bid to retain their All-Ireland C Championship title fell short against a goal-hungry Wicklow side in Saturday afternoon’s final showdown at Kinnegad.

Wicklow corner-forward Muireanne Darcy bagged a hat-trick as they swept to a deserved victory, but Tyrone to their credit never threw in the towel and kept on chipping away right to the final whistle.

The game was initially pencilled in for Drumlane in Cavan, but late last week it was switched to Roscommon venue Kinnegad, a lengthy journey for the Red Hands, and it was only in the second-half that they started to make in-roads against a Wicklow side that held a 10-point lead at the interval.

The day’s best performer Muireann Darcy got the first of her three goals after just 40 seconds of play, reacting quickest after an effort at a point had dropped short of the target.

While Tyrone responded with the next score of the game, a Catherine Moohan free, they were struggling to impose themselves on proceedings and their early deficit would have been worse only for some wayward Wicklow shooting.

The Garden County got their account up and running again with a Kim Kennedy score in the eighth minute of play, and the very same player got their next point to open up a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.

Tyrone were struggling to get their hands on primary possession in the middle sector and Wicklow kept on driving forward, compounding their advantage with a monster effort form play from their captain Eimear O’Toole.

The Red Hands got their second and final score of the half with a fine individual effort from Moohan, who put on the afterburners before splitting the posts in the 17th minute, but Wicklow were the more threatening side and rattled off 1-3 without replay before the interval, including a superbly-taken goal from half-forward Charlotte Doyle.

Tyrone trailed by 2-6 to 0-2 and they endured the worst possible start to the second half as Muireann Darcy blasted home her second goal of the game within 30 seconds of the restart.

It would take something remarkable for Tyrone to battle their way back into proceedings, even with the benefit of the breeze at their backs, though the accurate Moohan did get the next two points, one from a free and another from a ’45’.

Wicklow’s Muireann Darcy completed her hat-trick after brilliant interplay with Aine Darcy, opening up a 4-6 to 0-4 lead with 20 minutes remaining, though Tyrone didn’t give up the ghost and got their fifth point of the day through Emer Cunningham.

Then Katie Rose Donnelly added another for the Red Hands, who were putting in a great effort in spite of the deficit, though player of the match Muireann Darcy responded with her latest score wit five minutes remaining.

Emer Cunningham put in a great shift and scored a cracking late goal, booting the ball to the back of the net having brushed aside three Wicklow players, before adding a point to her day’s work.

Wicklow sub Rebecca Murphy scored a late goal while Moohan got her fifth and final point before the whistle sounded for full-time, and while it wasn’t to be for Tyrone, they can reflect with a great deal of pride on their efforts throughout their campaign.

Scorers

Tyrone: Catherine Moohan (0-5, 2f, 1 ’45’), Emer Cunningham (1-2), Katie Rose Donnelly (0-1)

Wicklow: Muireanne Darcy (3-2), Kimberly Kennedy (0-3), Rebecca Murphy (1-0), Charlotte Doyle and Aisling O’Tootle (0-1 each), Sarah Doyle (0-1f)

Teams

Tyrone: Mollie Croucher, Una McCrory, Clara Doherty, Aobh Bennett, Amy Holmes, Niamh McElduff, Neasa McElroy, Emer Cunningam, Cliona O’Reilly, Meabh Maguire, Catherine Moohan, Gemma Daly, Tess Daly, Aoife Grogan, Sorcha Hughes. Subs used: Eabha Coyle, Katie Rose, Donnelly, Clare McKee, Ellen Gillen

Wicklow: Laura Mulroe, Aoife Hunter, Faye Mulroe, Laoise Doran, Aoibhinn Hartley, Eimear O’Toole, Emma Healy, Sarah Doyle, Catherine Bourke, Charlotte Doyle, Aine Darcy, Aishling O’Toole, Kimberly Kennedy, Aoife Molloy, Muireann Darcy. Subs: Caoimhe Kinsella Nolan and Rebecca Murphy