Dashing Devlin douses Wicklow flame

Tyrone 3-16 Wicklow 0-10

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

A TALLY of 1-7 from the sensational Lára Devlin, along with a colossal display by Gráinne McDonald laid the foundation for a hugely impressive victory by Tyrone over an outgunned Wicklow in the Very Camogie League Division 4 final at Protection & Prosperity Louth GAA Training Centre in Darver.

The Red Hands did the damage with a strong wind aiding them in the first quarter, at the end of which they led by 1-7 to 0-0.

Devlin’s goal came in the 12th minute, as she sprinted through the middle of the Wicklow defence before sending an angled drive to the far corner.

Wicklow really knuckled down in the second quarter though and actually outscored the winners by three points to two to the interval. With the elements in their favour after the restart, Brendan Tobin’s players must have been optimistic.

Points by Sophie Bermingham and Laura Smyth would have fuelled that optimism but a goal from Lauren Fitzgerald in the 40th minute, after Róisín McErlean had sent the sliotar into the mixer, quickly doused the flame.

Paul O’Grady’s northerners dominated from that juncture to the end and Olivia Farley’s wonderful goal, lobbed into the far corner of the net was a fitting exclamation point.

SCORERS

TYRONE: L Devlin 1-7; C Little (0-4, 0-2fs); L Fitzgerald, O Farley 1-0 each; R O’Neill, K Gallagher 0-2 each; A Cunningham 0-1

WICKLOW: S Bermingham 0-4(2fs, 1 45); N Curran (1f), L Smyth 0-3 each

TYRONE: E Colton, B Moohan, R O’Neill, G Daly, A McDonald, G McDonald, Ú McCann, O Farley, Á Cunningham, L Devlin, L Fitzgerald, R McErlean, C Little, S Donnelly, K Gallagher. Subs: B Barker for McErlean, B Santos for Fitzgerald, M Donnelly for Little, M O’Hanlon for Moohan, G Devlin for Donnelly (all 60)

WICKLOW: C Hughes, A Campbell, C Kelly, A Mulhall, C Wafer, A Connolly, S O’Shea, S Lambe, S Goetelen, H Doyle, N Curran, S Bermingham, D Summer Cullen Dunne, L Smyth, E Tyrrell. Subs: P R Cullen Dunne for Tyrrell (ht), F Corrigan for D S Cullen Dunne (45), T Cullen for Campbell (48), O Waters for O’Shea (57), H Byrne for Hughes (58), K Campbell for Mulhall (60)

REFEREE: C Groome (Offaly)