Wicklow Claim Junior Crown

TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Junior Football Championship Final Replay

New York 0-8

Wicklow 2-10

By Jackie Cahill at Croke Park

SECOND half goals from Méadbh Deeney and Lucy Mulhall secured the TG4 All-Ireland ladies junior football championship title for Wicklow at Croke Park on Sunday.

The Garden County captured a first All-Ireland crown since the 1990 victory over London with an impressive eight-point replay victory over New York at GAA HQ.

Wicklow, managed by Dominic Leech, led by 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time and after threatening to score goals in the first half, they finally managed to find the net in the second period.

It was a tale of two penalties as Deeney coolly converted her 36th minute effort for Wicklow before New York’s Emma Clarke missed ten minutes later, when a goal would have hauled the Exiles right back into contention.

For a spell in the second half, New York looked on course for a revival but their hopes were dashed five minutes from the hooter when Mulhall scored a quite sensational second goal for Wicklow.

The full-forward, who scored five points from play in the drawn encounter, collected a magnficent long pass from substitute Laurie Ahern and finished clinically into the bottom corner at the Hill 16 end.

Wicklow survived the second half sin-binning of full-back Catríona Byrne, who was unable to resume due to injury, against a New York team that registered 13 wides, seven of those amassed after half-time.

New York had chances to haul themselves back into the game but paid the price for poor shooting as Wicklow were more economical with the possession that came their way.

Captain Mary O’Rourke led by example for New York with three points from play but dangerous corner forward Clarke was restricted to three points from frees.

Deeney and Mulhall, who saw an early goal chance saved by Alison Leyden, led the attacking charge for Wicklow while corner forward Niamh Carroll also impressed with three points from play.

Wicklow’s victory ensures that the TG4 Leinster and All-Ireland junior champions will operate in the intermediate championship ranks next year.

Scorers for New York: Mary O’Rourke 0-3, E Clarke 0-3f, M De Búrca & M Brennan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Wicklow: L Mulhall 1-3 (0-1f), M Deeney 1-2 (1-0 pen), N Carroll 0-3, C Deeney & S Miley 0-1 each.

NEW YORK: A Leyden; L Lilly. TA McCullagh, J Garcia; C McBrien, C Brady, J Monaghan; L McKeon, Á O’Dwyer; Mary O’Rourke, K Roche, C Traynor; E Clarke, I Mullarkey, M De Búrca.

Subs: M Brennan for Roche (39), R O’Reilly for Traynor (44), C McElroy for Lilly (55), M McVann for McBrien (57), Mary T. O’Rourke for Mullarkey (58).

WICKLOW: E Miley; J Miley, C Byrne, A Heffernan; L Fusciardi, C McKeon, N Kelly; J Kinch, L Gilbert; A.M. Doran, C Deeney, M Deeney; L Hogan, L Mulhall, N Carroll.

Subs: S Miley for Kelly (h.t.), A Ní hAnnaidh for Byrne (47), L Ahern for Hogan (50), C Walsh for J Miley (57), G Norton for Doran (57).

Referee: M Doherty (Wexford).

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