Tipp put to the sword by Wicklow

GAA: National Football League Division 4 Round 6

Wicklow 3-5-9 (28)

Tipperary 0-3-8 (14)

Report: Shane Brophy

in Echelon Park, Aughrim

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Kevin Quinn (Wicklow)

SCORERS – Wicklow: Kevin Quinn 1-5 (2x2play); Oisin McGraynor 0-5 (1x2play); Eoin Darcy 1-2 (0-1 free); Mark Jackson 0-4 (2x2 frees); Padraig O’Toole 1-1; Christopher O’Brien, Conor Fee 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Sean O’Connor 0-7 (2x2frees, 1x2play); Cian Smith, Paddy Creedon, Steven O’Brien (45s) 0-2 each; James Morris 0-1.

Tipperary’s promotion hopes were dealt a massive blow as they were soundly beaten by Wicklow in their penultimate round clash of the National Football League Division 4 on Sunday.

Following the encouraging win over Leitrim in the previous round, manager Niall Fitzgerald named an unchanged starting fifteen but unlike that game where Tipp were impressive into the wind, they struggled this time round.

This was despite having plenty of possession but struggled to penetrate, with Wicklow not having such problems, and once they got off the mark in the eighth minute with a Kevin Quinn two-pointer, it was clear they had the license to use the elements.

Quinn added another two-pointer before Padraig O’Toole scored their first goal on twelve minutes off a Tipp short kickout that came under pressure.

Oisin McGraynor landed a two-point line-ball before Tipp finally got off the mark on fifteen minutes through James Morris.

The wind was significant but not enough to have Tipp unable to get close to Wicklow who added to their tally with relative ease with points from McGraynor (3), Quinn, and goalie Mark Jackson (2x2 frees), before Eoin Darcy goaled on 26 minutes after Wicklow worked the ball way too easily from their own kickout.

Tipp trailed 2-14 to 0-1 at this point but finished the half on the up with Sean O’Connor pointing a free after his initial goal chance on advantage rolled just wide before Cian Smith finished a flowing move for the third but an O’Toole point from play gave the home side a commanding eighteen point lead at the break.

Tipp needed to make early in-roads with the breeze to pressurise the hosts and an early two-pointer from Sean O’Connor was a good start. However, they were unable to build on it with regular scores with a Steven O’Brien 45 the only other point inside the first fifteen minutes of the half.

An Eoin Darcy free kept the scoreboard ticking over for the home side who forced Shane Garland into two fine saves. Cian Smith and the first of two from Paddy Creedon, recently added to the senior football panel after being let go from the senior hurlers.

Wicklow were never really under pressure as Tipp couldn’t create enough clear scoring opportunities with the closest they got was within thirteen when Kevin Quinn scored Wicklow’s third goal on 68 minutes, although there was more than a hint of a square-ball about it, not long after Manus McFadden was forced off the field after colliding heavily with the goal-post and with Tipp having already used their full allocation of five substitutes, had to finish the game with fourteen, summing up a long trip to and back from the Wicklow Mountain venue.

TEAMS – Wicklow: Mark Jackson; Gavin Fogarty, Matt Nolan, Tom Moran; Malachy Stone, Jaques McCall, Jonathan Carlin; Dean Healy (Capt), Jack Kirwan; Joe Prendergast, Christopher O’Brien, Padraig O’Toole; Eoin Darcy, Oisin McGraynor, Kevin Quinn.

Subs: Cillian McDonald for McCall (60); Conor Fee for O’Brien (64); Cathal Baker for Moran (68); Sean Murphy for Quinn (68); Liam O’Neill for McGraynor (68);

Tipperary: Shane Garland (Kilsheelan/Kilcash); Jack Harney (Moyle Rovers), Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney), Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale); Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), James Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Charlie King (Ballina); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials), Paudie Feehan (Killenaule, Capt); Eoin Craddock (Holycross/Ballycahill), Steven O’Brien (Ballina), Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields); Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials), Daithi Hogan (St Patrick’s).

Subs: Mark Russell (Aherlow) for Higgins (46); Paddy Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields) for Craddock (46); Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers) for Hogan (48); Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers) for Stokes (55); Micheal Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash) for Feehan (57).

Referee: James Regan (Mayo)