Wicklow ground it out in Dungarvan. Nothing pretty about it, nothing polished. But two points all the same.
In driving rain and a slicing wind at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field, they found a way past Waterford, grinding out a 0-14 to 0-9 victory in this National Football League Division 4 encounter on Saturday.
The Déise had led at the interval – 0-5 to 0-4 – but playing into the wicked wind and rain in the latter half made their one-point lead all the more precarious, and their opponents came surging back.
Dean Healy dragged them back. Superb in the second half, he edged Wicklow ahead on 53 minutes. Kevin Quinn’s free pushed it to two. Jack Kirwan nearly hit the net it in the 58th minute – his close-range strike cannoned off the post.
Moments later Healy raised the first orange flag. Waterford replied through Dermot Ryan – who’d been excellent all evening – and suddenly it was 0-11 to 0-9 with five to play.
The Déise pushed. They probed. But Wicklow held firm.
Substitute Joe Prendergast sealed it in stoppage time – two points from intricate handpassing – and James Walsh’s evening ended in chaos for Waterford. Black card, yellow card, red card. All three in the span of ten seconds.
Waterford were better than the scoreboard suggested, Ryan and Conor Murray in particular stood out. But Prendergast’s injection off the bench proved decisive.
The wait goes on. The Déise’s last win remains a March 2025 success over London.
This one – in front of their own – will sting.
D Ryan (0-4, 1 tp, 2 frees), S Curry (0-2 frees), J Walsh, T Martin (free), C Murray (0-1 each).
: D Healy (0-3, 1 tp, 1 free) K Quinn (1 free), E Darcy (1 free), JP Nolan, J Prendergast (0-2 each), D Fee, O McGraynor (free), C McDonald (0-1 each).
: P Hunt; B Hynes, A Crawford, C Ó CuirrÃn; L Mulligan, M Curry, M O’Brien; C Walsh, D Walsh; T Martin, D Ryan, C Murray; J Walsh, S Curry, P McCarthy.
Subs: A Murray for McCarthy (55), C Fennell for C Walsh (63), C Foley for M Curry (70+3).
: M Jackson; C Deering, C Maguire, T Moran; G Fogarty, E Murtagh, D Fee; D Healy, J Hardy; C McDonald, P O’Toole, K Quinn; O McGraynor, S Murphy, E Darcy.
Subs: C Fee for McGraynor (23-28 temp), JP Nolan for McGraynor (HT), Jack Kirwan for Murphy (47), J Prendergast for Fogarty (63), L O’Neill for Darcy (65), J McCall for Murtagh (70).
: J Hayes (Limerick)
