Wicklow 4-17
Louth 2-8
A HAT-TRICK OF goals from Marie Kealy and a dominant performance across the middle third of the field powered Wicklow to a comfortable victory in the Lidl Ladies National League Division 4 final at St. Brendan’s Park in Birr on Monday afternoon.
A five-point win for Wicklow when the sides met at Stabannon suggested a tight game was in store at the Offaly venue but Wicklow, beaten finalists last year, produced a devastating display, firing 2-6 without reply at one stage in the third quarter to put the result beyond doubt.
From the very start of the tie, Louth were working with a small share of possession, struggling to hang on to the coat-tails of their dominant opponents.
Kate Flood looked capable of scoring with any sort of delivery and she picked off a couple of excellent early scores, but once Laurie Ahern set up Kealy for the game’s first goal after 12 minutes, Wicklow had established a lead that they would never relinquish.
🏐 And that's it!!
— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) May 7, 2018
🏆@Wicklowlgfa are Division 4 champions, going one better after finishing as runners-up last year!!
⏲️ RESULT: @LouthLGFA 2-8 @Wicklowlgfa 4-17 - @lidl_ireland National League Division 4 final at St Brendan's Park, Birr #SeriousSupport pic.twitter.com/XuMO2FRgLE
Nine first half wides prevented them from pulling clear too quickly, but the energetic running and purposeful deliveries of players like Niamh McGettigan and Meadhbh Deeney ensured a steady supply of chances and Kealy, Laura Hogan and Jackie Kinch were all on target as Wicklow edged further ahead.
The real hammer blow came with the last play of the first half, when a driving run from Hogan opened up the Louth defence and once she laid the ball off to Deeney, an immaculate finish from the Éire Óg player picked out the bottom corner of the net.
A goal for Louth at the start of the second half, toe poked in by Flood after Rebecca Carr’s initial shot rebounded off the crossbar, hinted at a comeback.
And @Wicklowlgfa are @lidl_ireland Division 4 Champions! #SeriousSupport https://t.co/uS7a2jZs6G
— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) May 7, 2018
Instead Wicklow rallied in spectacular fashion and two goals from player of the match Kealy, not to mention a brace of fine points from Jackie Kinch, pushed their lead out to 18 points at one stage.
A late consolation goal from Lauren Boyle trimmed the gap somewhat but Wicklow continued to look sharp going forward, firmly establishing their credentials as potential dark horses for the upcoming Leinster Intermediate championship.
Wicklow were beaten finalists against Longford last year but victory this time ensures Division 3 football for the Garden County in 2019.
Report courtesy of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA).
Wicklow: K Connors; E Mulhall, SJ Winder, L Fusciardi; L Ahern, S Hogan, A Conroy; N McGettigan, S Miley; A Murphy, J Kinch, M Deeney; C Fox, M Kealy, L Hogan.
Subs: A Gorman for Fox (47), A Gillen for Fusciardi, S O’Connor for Deeney, N Baker for Miley (58), R Fagan for Mulhall (60+1).
Louth: U Pearson; E Singleton, R Kane, S McLoughlin; C Nolan, D Osborne, B McGrane; S Woods, R Carr; P Murray, S Byrne, A Russell; L Boyle, K Flood, M McArdle.
Subs: M McMahon for Russell (25), Á Breen for Woods (36), E Hand for Singleton (41), C McGlew for McArdle (41), S Englishby for Osborne (49)
Scorers for Wicklow: M Kealy 3-3, M Deeney 1-3 (0-1f), J Kinch 0-5, A Murphy 0-2, L Hogan, C Fox, L Fusciardi, N Baker 0-1 each.
Scorers for Louth: K Flood 1-3 (0-1f), L Boyle 1-2 (0-1f), M McArdle, S Byrne & C McGlew 0-1 each.
Referee: Gerry Carmody (Mayo)
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Hardly world beaters, especially going forward
@COYBIG: two evenly matched teams tomorrow so
I think travelling to Georgia will affect them. It’s a long journey. We have a chance.
@prop joe: good pt. I had not considered that. I think we will beat them.
Havent lost to these since 92. No Bale wine rate since 2012 is 9%.
Believe
Coybig
We will beat this shower tomorrow COYBIG! The welsh think the only have to turn up to beat us!
Whats the team photo about?
@Jane: It’s something Wales have been doing for a couple of years now as a bit of a joke, they deliberately take terrible team photos. Go back through all their qualifiers and you’ll see some with one player kneeling and the rest standing, and the opposite. Leaving gaps like that etc. No idea what it’s about.
@Eanna Costello: I’d never noticed it before, thanks
@Eanna Costello: I think they did one bad photo by mistake and just kept it going then for a laugh
@Jane:
More examples here. It’s gas really.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/1008/910725-the-wonders-of-the-wales-team-photo-what-is-going-on/
Seems like you guys think you have this in the bag already.
To put some perspective here – Wales have lost 3 games since 2013 when Bale wasn’t playing. Two of those were friendlies when other players including Ramsey were also not available, and the other one was after we’d already qualified for the Euros.
We haven’t lost a game since the 2016 Euros Semi final, we’ve kept a clean sheet for the last 3 games which we won, and tomorrow night we’re playing at home.
So despite the dismissive remarks above, Wales may pull off a huge upset.
@Saul Hamilton Evans: “not world beaters” “evenly matched” “we have a chance”. How is that us thinking its in the bag or dismissive of Wales? I think nearly all Irish fans thinks Wales are favourites but as said above, we go to Cardiff with a chance.
@Paul P O’Sullivan: is focain bómán é.
He’s a clown