National Hurling League Division 2A
Wicklow 0-14
Derry 1-11
Aughrim – 26/1/2012
With Wicklow trailing by a single point Bosco O’Neill stood over a penalty in the 72nd minute of this NHL opener but decided to share the spoils and fired over to bar to tie the match writes Alan O’Brien.
Derry were the much brighter team in the opening ten minutes with Share Farren adding a Goal to the Northerners opening two points. Wicklow had only a single point on the score board from the hurl of Andy O’Brien as last year’s Division 3A champions struggled for momentum. The teams traded points when a controversial decision from the referee denied Wicklow the lead. Andy O’Brien played Bosco O’Neill in on goal who finished superbly but the man in the middle adjudged that O’Brien had thrown the ball and awarded a free out.
Although Wicklow were off the pace in the opening exchanges they grew into the half and put together a scoring run of points that seen them lead at half time despite 10 wides. Good work by Chester Kelly provided Enan Glynn with the space to fire over and Bosco added two frees to lead at half time on a score line of Wicklow 0-9 to Derry’s 1-5.
Derry suffered defeat on three separate occasions to Wicklow last year and judging by their attitude at the start of the second half its safe to assume they were reminded of that at half time. The Oak Leaf County fired out of the blocks and hit an unanswered 0-3 to lead the contest again. Wicklow rallied and again levelled the match with the game now well and truly in the melting pot. Derry seized on slack Wicklow defending to create a one on one situation but Ger Rogan’s team were thwarted by an outstanding same from Joe Murphy in the Wicklow nets.
The game went tit for tat until Derry fired over in injury time with what looked like a match winning score. However there was late drama as Andy O’Brien was fouled to give Wicklow a penalty and the chance to win the game. Bosco stepped up but fired twenty yards over the bar to settle for a draw and a share of the two National Hurling League points on offer.
WW team. Murphy, Connors, Keogh, Dunne, Doyle, Cuddihy, Dunne, Doyle, Cuddihy, Bermingham, Kearns, Keddy, Quirke, Kelly, O’Gorman, O’Brien, Bosco & E Glynn
