Donegal edged out by Wicklow in dead rubber encounter

A freak side line cut from Wicklow midfielder Daniel Staunton that ended in the Donegal net was the key score in this dead rubber in O’Donnell Park. 

Donegal 1-18 Wicklow 2-17 

Staunton’s well struck effort deceived everyone and sailed into the Donegal net to give the visitors the lead for the first time on a score of 2-16 to 1-18 two minutes from time in the cliched game of two halves. 

An experimental Donegal side led by 1-14 to 0-4 coming up to half time. But a lightning 1-2 from Wicklow’s clever corner forward Mikey Lee narrowed the gap to 1-14 to 1-6 at the break. 

Donegal could only manage four points In the entire second half as they took off their stronger players and Wicklow put on theirs. 

But an area of concern for Donegal must be the ease with which a much physically stronger Wicklow side won virtually all of the rucks in that half.  

A slightly reshuffled Donegal gave Ciaran Curran his debut at full-back against a Wicklow side who played as per programme. 

Team captain Ronan McDermott, Liam McKinney, Stephen McBride, Michael Donaghue, Conor Gartland and Luke White did not start as Oisin Marley made his first championship start as well. 

But significantly, they were minus the influential Declan Coulter whose season ended with a badly broken thumb. 

And manager McCann took off Stephen Gillespie and Ruairi Campbell in that one-sided second half where the Garden County went for it. 

The home side had a great start and raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after just eight minutes through points from Marely (0-2), Sean Ward Brian McIntyre and the returned Richie Ryan. 

Wicklow responded with points from the giant Padraig Doyle and Mark Murphy. But it was all Donegal as the nippy McIntyre, Ryan Hilferty, Marley and Stephen Gillespie eased them into a 0-9 to 0-3 lead by the 20th minute with Doyle the sole scorer for the Garden County. 

It got even better for Donegal when Ward pounced on some hesitation in the Wicklow defence to hammer to the net in the 22nd minute. 

Points the flowed from Ward, Marley, Gerry Gilmore and McIntyre to put them into a 1-14 to 0-4 lead. But Wicklow corner forward Mikey Lee exploded into life and hit 1-2 to leave the score line a bit more respectable as the home side led by 1-14 to 1-6. 

McCann took off Stephen Gillespie and Ruairi Campbell at the break and put on fringe players David Carey and Conor Griffe. 

Wicklow went the other way and brought on regulars like Christy Moorehouse, Jack Doyle and Gavin Weir as they stormed back into the game. 

Seamie Germaine and Lee made it 1-14 to 1-8 but Donegal replied through Hilferty and Ryan. But Wicklow were growing into the game as Ryan was unlucky to see his rasper come back off the post as a goal at that stage would have been a huge psychological boost to an outmuscled Donegal side. 

A much bigger Wicklow were winning all the 50/50 balls An outgunned Donegal could only manage one point in the last 20 minutes as a rampant Wicklow cut their lead significantly. 

Moorhouse took over the free taking duties,but they hit seven wides as well as Staunton and Doyle did find the target. An Oisin Marley free in the 62nd minute put Donegal into a 1-1-18 to 1-13 lead. But it always looked shaky as Wicklow’s stronger bench began to tell. 

Staunton and Doyle made it 1-18 to 1-16 as Wicklow surged for victory and Moorehouse made it 1-18 to 1-16 before Staunton’s freak goal and they had a further pointed free from Moorehouse to seal an impressive comeback in the second half. 

Donegal scorers: Sean Ward 1-3; Oisin Marley 0-5,5f; Brian McIntyre 0-3; Richie Ryan 0-2; Ryan Hilferty 0-2; Stephen Gillespie 0-2; Gerry Gilmore 0-1. 

Wicklow scorers: Mikey Lee 1-4; Padraig Doyle 0-3,3f; Christy Moorehouse 0-3,3f; Daniel Staunton 1-3,3f; John Doyle 0-1; Seanie Germaine 0-2,2f; Mark Murphy 0-1.   

Donegal: Dylan Lafferty, Gavin Browne, Ciaran Curran, Padraig Doherty; Richie Ryan (0-2) Sean Ward, Ciaran Bradley; Stephen Gillespie, Ryan Hilferty; Conor O’Grady, Ruairi Campbell, Brian McIntyre; Gerry Gilmore, Danny Cullen, Oisin Marley. 

Subs: David Carey for Stephen Gillespie and Conor Griffin for Ruairi Campbell (h/t), Stephen McBride for Richie Ryan (67 mins). 

Wicklow: Cian Staunton; Dylan Byrne, Bryan Kearney, Tommy Collins; Mark Murphy, Conell McCrea, Torna Mulconry; Daniel Staunton, Matthew Traynor; David Maloney, Padraig Doyle, Eoin McCormack; Mikey Lee, Seanie Germaine, John Doyle.

Subs: Christy Moorehouse, for John Doyle and Jack Doyle, for Tonra Mulconry (48), Padraig Doran for Conor McCrea (53), Gavin Weir for Mikey Lee (63). 

Referee: Brian Parke (Antrim).