16 July 2008 Leinster Junior championship final Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Leinster Junior championship final. Wicklow 5-8 Louth 0-16 Wicklow stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight in Dr. Cullen Park on Sunday last when they over came Louth, to lift the TG4 Leinster Junior championship trophy for the second time in their twenty year history. Louth, who came into the game as favourites, started the game much brighter, and moved into a four point lead within twelve minutes of the start. Wicklow 'veteran' Aisling O'hAnnaidh, who, despite having played football with Wicklow for the past ten years, was competing in her first Leinster final. The Bray Emmets girl read the early warning signs and drove the ball to the back of Karen Wayne net with her first effort, at the end of the first quarter to reduce the deficit to just a single point. Two minutes later Wicklow's corner forward Laurie Ahern, an engineering student, got all her angles right when she raised the green flag on the double followed by a point out on the right to open a six point gap in Wicklows favour. With ten minute to go before the break, the experienced Louth side did not panic, as they slowly reel in the Wicklow side, to go one point clear at the break (3-1 to 0-11). For the Louth side the half time hooter came a little too early, but for the Garden county side the timing was just right as they were showing signs of wilting in the heat of battle. The Wee county started were they had left off in the first half, their number thirteen Patricia Marmion tapping over to keep the pressure on the Wicklow side. Wicklow however, re-amerged with a more determined look about them, a number of tactical changes had been made to the team, and the turning point for the Wicklow side came in the tenth minute when player of the match Geraldine Norton was fouled in the square and was awarded a penalty by referee Joe Murray, Norton stepped up to the spot and dispatched the ball to the right of the Louth keeper, to give Wicklow a one point advantage, and it was a lead that Wicklow never lost for the remainder of the game. For the next twelve minutes it was the Geraldine Norton show, as the Baltinglass player turned from being provider to being the Wicklow sharp shooter, tagging on a second goal and four points, and along with two points from Minica Lynch and Aimie Byrne, and the garden county was in full bloom. In fairness the Louth girls, were given a bye in the semi-final, so they may have been lacking the cutting edge that comes from competitive games, Wicklow on the other hand had a tough semi-final game against Offaly, and it seemed to stand to the east coast side in the final quarter of the final. However Louth did not throw in the towel and gave it their all, notching up three points from their top scorer Rosana Heaney and the last point of the game came from the boot of Louth's number twenty five Kim Lynch. Wicklow captain Emer Miley received the TG4 Leinster Junior championship trophy from Leinster council President Bill Daly, and Wicklows Geraldine Norton collected the player of the match award. Bill Daly thanked all those involved, especially the Carlow county board for the use of their excellent facility's on the day. Share this Article 0 0