Reality check as Wicklow take Donegal hurlers' scalp in Letterkenny 

Donegal suffered their first loss in the NHL on Sunday as a powerful Wicklow side came away from Letterkenny deserving seven-point winners. 

Mickey McCann’s charges had gone into the day looking to make it five straight wins in Division 3. 

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However, the Leinster outfit, led superbly by full-forward Padraig Doyle, just had too much guile and, indeed, muscle in the crucial areas of the park. 

Donegal clocked 16 wides over the course of the 70 minutes while the winners posted 11 in a result that puts a slight dent in both Donegal’s league final and promotion prospects. 

However, all of that is still very much in their own hands as they go away to Roscommon in a fortnight’s time in what’s now a huge encounter. 

Doyle would end the game with 11 points, nine from frees, and while Donegal might have had to work a little harder for some of their decisions, it would be wrong to suggest that in any way affected the overall outcome. 

The visitors exited at the break 0-11 to 0-6 clear having added the last three points of the opening period. 

And that late slacking off left Donegal on a back foot they never really recovered from. 

Wicklow began with real intent and but for a fantastic block from home corner back Donal Farrelly as Doyle closed in, could easily have raised an almost instant green flag. 

From the resulting ‘65, Padraig Doran clipped the visitors ahead while on seven minutes, Doyle landed a free from the wide right.. 

Liam McKinney got Donegal up and running on nine minutes and, approaching the quarter-hour mark, a neat Peter Kelly slice levelled matters up once more. 

Jack Doyle then launched a brilliant effort from deep for Wicklow before a lovely cut from an acute angle by Seanie Germaine left the Garden County 4-2 to the good on 19 minutes. 

Declan Coulter also took aim from downtown and with Brian MacIntyre also getting on the scoresheet, matters were soon deadlocked for a third time. 

In what was fast developing into a real shootout now, James Boland and Kelly traded points but with Doyle lamping another placed sliotar through the posts, Wicklow again held the upper hand at 0-6 to 0-5. 

Eight minutes out from the midpoint and Doyle repeated that feat as Wicklow wrestled back that previous two-point advantage. 

And with Jack Phelan moving the visitors further in front immediately after, 0-8 now led 0-5. 

Donegal needed to intervene and they did so in superb fashion as Gerard Gilmore slapped over a huge point to stem that previous tide. 

Phelan then gained sight of goal but his blast for the net just cleared the crossbar with Luke White scrambling. 

But Wicklow would finish the half in clinical fashion as Doyle, causing Donegal all sorts of bother under direct delivery, left four in it. 

And edging into added time, substitute Eoin McCormick left it a five-point game as he converted from close range. 

Wicklow were in for on goal again following the restart, but crossed wires saw that early opportunity go a-begging. 

Liam McKinney did manage to move Donegal onto 0-7 down the other side but a brace of frees from Doyle soon extended Wicklow’s cushion to six. 

On the three-quarter hour mark, Gilmore arrowed over another free for Donegal to leave it 0-13 to 0-8. 

And with McKinney also grabbing an over for the home charges, we were back to a four-point game. 

But either side of the 50-minute mark Doyle, with his seventh, and Phelan with his third, left a cavity of a half a dozen at 0-15 to 0-9. 

Gilmore lashed over another free as Donegal looked to hang onto the leaders’ coattails but with the excellent Doyle matching that feat, six remained the deficit. 

Gilmore did cut that back to five with ten to go but, just like before, that headway was short-lived as the immaculate Doyle continued to rack up the scores. 

Looking to force the issue, Ryan Hilferty had a drilled effort on goal stopped by Conor McNally. 

But three on the bounce from Wicklow, courtesy of Doyle, twice, and Sam O’Dowd left Donegal almost out of sight at 0-19 to 0-11. 

Donegal did look to throw the kitchen sink down the stretch as replacement Josh Cronolly McGee and Gilmore, from two frees, reeled it back into five. 

But in the closing moments, Doyle and Tommy Collins grabbed final points for Wicklow, who were convincing winners at the final whistle. 

Donegal scorers: Gerard Gilmore 0-6, 5f; Liam McKinney 0-3; Peter Kelly 0-2; Declan Coulter, Brian MacIntyre and Josh Cronolly McGee 0-1 each. 

Wicklow scorers: Padraig Doyle 0-11, 9f; Jack Phelan 0-2; Padraig Doran 0-1,1’65; Tommy Collins, James Boland, Sam O’Dowd, Jack Doyle, Fionn Darcy, Seanie Germaine and Eoin McCormick 0-1 each.

Donegal: Luke White; Ciaran Bradley, Oisin Kelly, Donal Farrelly; Ryan Hilferty, Liam Mc Kinney, Gerard Gilmore; Conor O’Grady, Brian MacIntyre; John Kealy, Peter Kelly, Richie Ryan; Conor Gartland, Declan Coulter, Kevin Kealy.

Subs: Josh Cronolly McGee for Gartland (23); Conor Diver for MacIntyre (52); Dan Donnelly  for Ryan (56).

Wicklow: Conor McNally; Ben Kearney, Andrew Kavanagh, Ian Clancy; Tommy Collins, John Henderson, James Boland; Padraig Doran, Sam O’Dowd; Luke Evans, Jack Phelan, Jack Doyle; Fionn Darcy, Padraig Doyle, Seanie Germaine. 

Subs: Eoin McCormick for Germaine (30); Ken Cullen for Darcy (63). 

Referee: James Judge (Mayo).