Second-half strength helped Wicklow win the Nickey Rackard Cup in a thrilling final in Croke Park.
Full-time: 1-20 (23) to 3-12 (21)
Donegal’s fifth appearance in the fixture came to a disappointing end as goals swung the game for Wicklow to take silverware home from Croke Park for the first time in over 50 years.
Donegal were up 2-8 to 0-10 at half-time, but Wicklow took the lead close to the hour mark.
“We should have been more up at half-time. Four just wasn’t enough. In the second half we just didn’t seem to get composed and deliver the right ball into the forwards,” said Donegal Manager Mickey McCann.
“It wasn’t the way we went out to play.”
Watch here:
Scorers: Wicklow: C Moorehouse 0-8 (0-5f), A O’Brien 1-1, L Evans 0-2, S Germaine 0-2, D Staunton 0-2 (0-1 sideline), J Doyle 0-1, M Boland 0-1, E McCormack 0-1, D Maloney 0-1, P Doyle 0-1. Donegal: L White 1-2 (1-1f, 0-1 ’65), L McKinney 1-1, R Hilferty 1-0, R McDermott 0-3, R Campbell 0-1, J O’Loughlin 0-1, C McDermott 0-1, D Cullen 0-1, G Gilmore 0-1, B McIntyre 0-1.
Wicklow: C McNally; B Kearney, A Kavanagh, M O’Brien; P Doran, J Henderson, S O’Dowd; J Doyle, D Masterson; M Boland, C Moorehouse, E McCormack; D Maloney, A O’Brien, L Evans. Subs: S Germaine for Boland (28), D Staunton for Masterson (half-time), M Traynor for O’Dowd (half-time), G Weir for O’Brien (50), P Doyle for Evans (59).
Donegal: L White; S McBride, M Donoghue, P Doherty; G Browne, D Cullen, C McDermott; J O’Loughlin, S Gillepsie; R Hilferty, R McDermott, L McKinney; G Gilmore, C Gartland, R Campbell. Subs: B McIntyre for Gartland (47), R Ryan Campbell for (49), C Bradley for Hilferty (58), O Marley for Gilmore (67)
Referee: James Clarke (Cavan).
