Wicklow SFC Final

St Patrick's 1-10 Baltinglass 1-8

By Brendan Lawrence at Aughrim

Points from midfielders Dean Healy and John Crowe powered St Patrick’s to the Miley Cup in a pulsating Wicklow senior county final played in horrid conditions in the County Grounds in Aughrim.  

With the sides tied at 1-8 apiece after 22 minutes and with Baltinglass talisman John McGrath gone off injured, the tide seemed to have swung towards Robbie Leahy’s side, but they still needed match-winning scores and it was the midfield maestros who delivered with two stunning efforts in quick succession.  

St Patrick’s will look at the performance of Patrick ‘Padge’ McWalter as a key factor in this precious victory that was enjoyed by a sea of blue and white clad supporters in the rain after John Keenan’s final whistle.  

On numerous occasions in the second half, it was the experienced centre-forward who won dirty ball being driven out of defence and used all his intelligence to turn the possession into vital attacks.  

Kevin O’Brien’s Baltinglass will reflect on six first-half wides when they had the wind at their backs, a bullet of a shot that cracked back off the bottom of Shane Doyle’s post after 10 minutes and the significant loss of John McGrath.

It was the Slaneysiders who started the better, charging out to a 1-3 to 0-0 lead with the aid of the elements and some lovely football from the likes of Johnny Keogh, Pat Burke, John McGrath, Adam McHugh and Tommy Keogh.  

Johnny Keogh opened the scoring in the first minute, taking a ball from McHugh before firing over.  

Mark Jackson swept over one of his trademark frees before John McGrath fired home a ripper of a goal to leave it 1-2 to 0-0 after seven.  

Tommy Keogh watched as his shot came back off the post after 10 before Adam McHugh made it 1-3 to 0-0 with St Patrick’s hardly registering a scoring opportunity at this stage.  

Their first chance would come after 18 when Tommy Kelly swung over a free won by Bryan Doyle and two more Kelly placed balls and a McHugh free for Baltinglass sent Kevin O’Brien’s men in leading by four with the big question being had they scored enough with the elements in their favour.  

Bryan Doyle started their recovery with a sweet free before Tommy Kelly drifted over a wondrous score after two of the second half.  

Baltinglass showed that they could cause major trouble against the wind when Mark Jackson (free) and Adam McHugh made it 1-6 to 0-5 after four but a dreamy Kelly free and a stunner from man of the match McWalter left just two between the sides with St Patrick’s starting to look the more threatening.  

The key moments arrived at the end of the third quarter. Tommy Kelly poked home a goal after being oicked out by Paul O’Brien and John McGrath had to leave the field through injury.  

Without McGraths scoring threat, Baltinglass struggled, coughing up possession too many times in scorable positions although two Mark Jackson frees did return them to the lead with 19 gone.  

Niall Delahunt levelled the game after 21 and then Healy and Crowe stepped up and pushed St Patrick’s two ahead with 24 gone.  

There was still lots of time left but Baltinglass would only register a wide and lose possession to a ravenous St Patrick’s defence and the final whistle would send the St Pat’s faithful wild with delight as they secured their 15th Miley Cup after a cracking battle in very tough conditions. 

Scorers for St Patrick's: Tommy Kelly 1-5 (4fs), Niall Delahunt, Dean Healy, Padge McWalter, John Crowe, and Bryan Doyle (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Baltinglass: John McGrath 1-1 (1m), Mark Jackson 0-4 (3fs, 145), Adam McHugh 0-2, Johnny Keogh 0-1.

St Patrick’s: Shane Doyle; Cian O’Brien, Matthew Traynor, Wayne Doyle; Simon Bouchier, Patrick O’Keane, Niall Delahunt; Dean Healy, John Crowe; Paul O’Brien, Padge McWalter, Conor O’Brien; Bryan Doyle, Ciarán McGettigan, Tommy Kelly.

Subs: Fionn Luddy for C O’Brien (47), Paul Earls for C McGettigan (55), Stephen Duffy for P McWalter (60), Mark O’Brien for S Bouchier (60), Jack Dunne for B Doyle (64). 

Baltinglass: Mark Jackson; Arun Daly Danne, John Murray, Billy Cullen; Tom Burke, Chris Grimes, Pat Burke; Sean Doody, Kevin Murphy; Jack Kirwan, Johnny Keogh, Jason Kennedy; John McGrath, Tommy Keogh, Adam McHugh.

Subs: Tadgh O’Toole for J McGrath (44), Patrick Whelan for S Doody (47), Karl Furlong for J Kennedy (54), 

Referee: John Keenan (Aughrim).