Limerick 2-13 Wicklow 2-09
Wicklow's last game in the national football league was played on Sunday away in limerick. On a beautiful day, Limerick came out on top of a very tight, tense affair.
Wicklow came flying out of the blocks in Limerick with a fine point from play from Darren Hayden before Paddy Byrne latched on to a bouncing ball on the 21-yard line before slaloming his way through the limerick defence before slotting the ball into the corner of the net.
In reply, Limerick opened the scoring through full-forward Danny Neville. Wicklow kept the pressure on after this and this resulted in them winning a 45. Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson made his up the field and slotted the 45 over the bar.
Rory Finn won a ball in midfield before bursting through a few Limerick players and hitting a monster score from the 45-yard line. Limerick seemed stunned by this fast start by Wicklow.
They then kicked into action scoring a goal and the points without reply. The Limerick scoring spree was started off by their goalie Brian Scanlon who equalled his Wicklow counterpart by scoring a 45.
Limerick wing forward Seamus O'Caroll then latched onto a ball before putting it into the back of the Wicklow net.
Limerick continued there scoring with corner-forward Sean McSweeney before the aforementioned Neville scored another point.
The game ebbed and flowed for the next few minutes before Wicklow got yet another fine long range score coming from Hayden yet again.
In reply, corner-forward Padraig Scanlon slotted another point over the bar. With the game moving towards half-time Wicklow wing forward Mark Kenny got on a ball and drove towards the Limerick goal as he ran along the end line no one expected much but out of nowhere Kenny unleashed a raspier of a shot that flew into the back of the Limerick net.
McSweeney and Kenny then traded frees just before the break, leaving the scoreline reading Limerick 1-6, Wicklow 2-5 at half-time.
The second half was a much more defensive from the Limerick side. The half started off well for the home team with Neville yet again getting another point from play.
Wicklow forward Kenny got two scores in reply, with one lovely point from play before slotting over a free kick.
Limerick then got a decisive score through full-forward Danny Neville who got his foot too the ball as it was rolling around the Wicklow goalmouth and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Limerick then started too empty their bench with substitute Jamie Lee making an immediate impact by scoring a point from play.
Neville hit another point from play before Lee got on the score sheet again with a free.
After this flurry of score from Limerick, Wicklow hit another score through Kenny from a free.
The Limerick forwards were doing more damage when the ball was near them, especially Neville and substitute Lee; Neville hitting another score from play with Lee slotting another free.
Wicklow substitute Mark Fitzsimons got a final point for Wicklow at the end of the game, before lee hit a final point from play, too, leaving the final score reading Limerick 2-13, Wicklow 2-9.
Johnny Magee said that his charges played well in Newcastlewest, controlling the play for some of the game.
"We played well, we were in control of the game for good periods over the 70 minutes. We were shutting them out well. They had soem possession but they were hitting wides and we were happy they were getting the shots off from where they were, out wide.
"We were organised and disciplined and when we went forward we were economical," he added.
The Wicklow players will now go back ot their clubs for two weeks before returning to the county set up for five weeks ahead of the Louth clash, a game they are going in to as rank outsiders.
Scorers
Limerick: D Neville 1-5, J Lee 0-4, S O'Carroll 1-0, B Scanlon 0-1, P Scanlon 0-1, S McSweeney 0-2.
Wicklow: M Kenny 1-4, D Hayden 0-2, Paddy Byrne 1-0, R Finn 0-1, M Jackson 0-1, M Fitzsimons 0-1.
Limerick: Brian Scanlon; Garrett Noonan, Johnny McCarthy, Sean O'Dea; Daniel Daly, Ian Corbett, Padraig Quinn; Darragh Tracey, David Ward; Peter Nash, James Naughton, Seamus O'Carroll; Sean Sweeney, Danny Neville, Padraig Scanlon. Subs: Tony McCarthy for Daniel Daly; Jamie McGarry for James Naughton; Brian Donavan for Jamie Lee; Jamie Ryan for Sean McSweeney; Paul White for Padraig Quinn.
Wicklow: Mark Jackson; Eoin Murtagh, Ross O'Brien, Jamie Snell; Darren Hayden, Dean Healy, Ciaran Hyland; Rory Finn, David Boothman; Conor Ffrench, Stephen Kelly, Mark Kenny; Paddy Byrne, John Crowe, Peadar Traynor. Subs: Brendan Kennedy for P Traynor; Mark Fitzsimons for Paddy Byrne; Caolan MacGorman for E Murtagh.
Referee: Kevin Murphy
