Tailteann Cup: Healy seals comeback victory for Wicklow over Antrim
Five points from Dean Healy helped Wicklow to victory over Antrim in their Tailteann Cup quarter-final.
Tailteann Cup Quarter-Final
Wicklow 2-19 Antrim 3-15
By Maghnus Dunne at Corrigan Park
An inspired Wicklow managed to edge Antrim out in Belfast after a late flurry of scores including a two-point free from Mark Jackson and a final score from Dean Healy managed to seal a comeback victory and send them into the Tailteann Cup semi-final.
The away side managed to overturn a nine-point deficit to earn themselves a trip to Croke park next weekend, but it was far from plain sailing for the Leinster outfit.
Conor Hand got Antrim underway when the midfielder retrieved possession from Pat Shivers before clipping his effort delicately over the black spot for an Antrim point inside the first minute.
A silly breach from the hosts allowed Wicklow to gain an early advantage and avail of the breeze when Mark Jackson split the post for two points and flip the scores in a tightly contested opening half.
Oisín McGraynor’s free from short range extended the away side’s lead but Conor Hand would be Antrim’s strongest forward foot when the St John’s midfielder replied with a terrific two-pointer for the hosts to level proceedings once again inside the opening ten minutes.
Ryan McQuillan and Dean Healy both exchanged scores, with the Wicklow midfielder piledriving an effort from 40-yards and an orange flag was raised as the ball settled in the catch-net.
Healy thought he had the first goal of the contest, but eventually the midfielder’s goal was cancelled out due to an overcarrying of possession, and Antrim drove to find a score from Conor Hand after a great spell in the final third.
Wicklow began to dominate the middle of the park, but were unable to make it count on the counterattack with wides being signalled for their resulting efforts from Christopher O’Brien and Eoin Darcy.
Antrim would register the first major blow of the contest when Ryan McQuillan found the net for a third consecutive Tailteann Cup game.
John McNabb switched up the kick-out routine and found Tiernan McCormick in space who popped a pass to Joseph Finnegan who cutely flicked the ball onto McQuillan, and with just the keeper to beat the net bulged.
Dean Healy thought he found the net when he found himself on the end of Eoin Darcy’s lay-up, but the midfielder had to settle for a point when his punched effort scraped the top of the bar.
Despite a quiet opening half, Niall Burns would close it out with Antrim on top as he managed to get the better of his tight-marker and strike a great point over the bar and the whistle sounded for the half.
Antrim started the second-half goal hungry and found their goals on two occasions when Tiernan McCormick rose high to thump McEnhill’s pass into the net.
Then Paddy McAleer scored another goal moments later when the midfielder found space and blasted it into the net after some nice linkups from St Gall’s duo Burns and McCabe.
The turning point of the game came when Antrim were awarded a penalty but a great stop from Mark Jackson prevented the game from being over.
Wicklow hit back after the penalty with O’Toole, Darcy and Murtagh all scoring befoe Kevin Quinn fisted over to reduce the scores to within four points.
Wicklow were awarded a spot-kick of their own when Jonathan Carlin was dragged down in the box. Eoin Darcy’s initial strike was saved by John McNabb, but the rebound was scrambled over the line and Wicklow had hope.
Four points separated the sides and time was limited, but the Leinster outfit rallied, and Antrim only managed two more scores in what remained.
When Mark Jackson found a score for an orange flag the travelling support breathed life into their side and they managed to get it over the line with a free from Oisin McGraynor finding the inside post before Dean Healy’s fisted point saw their bench erupt as 30 seconds remained.
Antrim went long and when Pat Shivers attempted to pull the trigger the ball soared high and wide and the hooter went for full-time.
Wicklow Scorers: Dean Healy 0-5 (1xTP), Oisín McGraynor 1-2 (0-2F), Mark Jackson 0-4 (2xTPf), Eoin Darcy 1-1 (0-1F), Pádraig O’Toole 0-3, Kevin Quinn 0-2, Eoin Murtagh 0-1, Tom Moran 0-1
Antrim Scorers: Tiernan McCormick 1-1, Conor Hand 0-4 (1xTP), Ryan McQuillan 1-1, Paddy McAleer 1-1, Dominic McEnhill 0-2 (1xTP), Niall Burns 0-2, Pat Shivers 0-2 (0-1F) Marc Jordan 0-1, Eunan Walsh 0-1
Wicklow: Mark Jackson; Tom Moran, Matt Nolan, Malachy Stone; Darragh Fee, Eoin Murtagh, Gavin Fogarty; Dean Healy, Jack Kirwin; Jonathan Carlin, Pádraig O’Toole, Christopher O’Brien; Oisín McGraynor, Kevin Quinn, Eoin Darcy. Subs: Cian Deering on for Gavin Fogarty (47’), Joe Prendergast on for Eoin Murtagh (64’), Mark Kenny on for Darragh Fee (66’),
Antrim: John McNabb; John Morgan, Joseph Finnegan, Kavan Keenan; Eoghan McCabe, Eunan Walsh, Marc Jordan; Paddy McAleer, Conor Hand; Tiernan McCormack, Ryan McQuillan, Ronan Boyle; Pat Shivers, Niall Burns, Dominic McEnhill. Subs: Adam Loughran on for Ryan McQuillan (56’), Tomas McCann for Ronan Boyle (56’), Cathal Hynds on for Dominic McEnhill (64’), Tom Shivers on for Paddy McAleer (66’)
