Wicklow triumph with late Gill goal

Tommy Murphy Cup Final/Wicklow 3-13 Antrim 1-17: Tommy Gill put Antrim to the sword with a goal in injury-time that gave Wicklow…

Tommy Murphy Cup Final/Wicklow 3-13 Antrim 1-17:Tommy Gill put Antrim to the sword with a goal in injury-time that gave Wicklow victory in the Tommy Murphy Cup final at Croke Park on Saturday. The Rathnew man had earlier blazed a chance wide and missed the target with a free for an equalising point minutes before his goal.

Wicklow opened a six-point gap after 25 minutes, 2-3 to 0-3, with Tommy Walsh excelling at midfield and Leighton Glynn turning in a man-of-the-match performance at centre forward.

However, after the introduction of Michael Magill before half-time, Antrim seemed to be getting a grip on matters and, with Michael McCann and Conor McGourty in fine scoring form, they had narrowed the gap to 0-8 to 2-5 by half-time, drawn level 1-15 to 2-12 by the end of normal time, and taken the lead in the second period of extra-time when Magill pointed them in front, 1-17 to 2-13.

With just seconds left, Glynn pumped in a high ball, James Stafford fielded and fed the unmarked Gill on the edge of the square. Gill picked his spot in the empty net.

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WICKLOW: M Travers; C Hyland, D Power, A Byrne; P Dalton (0-1), D Ó hAnnaidh, B Ó hAnnaidh; J Stafford, T Walsh (0-1); J McGrath (0-2), L Glynn (1-4), T Hannon (0-4, three frees); T Gill (1-1), D Jackman, D Daly (1-0). Sub: E Rossiter for Jackman.

ANTRIM: S McGreevey; P Close, P Doherty, J Loughery; S Kelly, E O'Neill (0-1), J Crozier; J Quinn, D Martin; A Gallagher (0-1), K Niblock, K Brady; C Close (0-5, two frees), M McCann (0-4), C McGourty (1-4, pen). Subs: M Magill (0-2) for Martin, S McVeigh for Kelly, B Hasson for Niblock, M Dougan for Quinn, M Rea for Close.

Referee: P McGovern (Galway).