Wicklow 4-16 Roscommon 2-13Wicklow, defeated by Laois in last year's final of the All-Ireland senior football "B" championship, went one better in Tullamore on Saturday when they scored a comprehensive 4-16 to 2-13 victory over Roscommon.A powerful second-half performance carried the day for Wicklow, after the sides had battled their way through a tight opening 35 minutes which left nothing to separate the sides.
It was always Wicklow making the running, however, with Roscommon never enjoying the luxury of a lead in that first half.
They appeared to be in trouble early on as Wicklow raced into a 1-4 to 0-2 lead by the 13th minute, with a goal from full-forward Wayne O'Gorman arriving after a penetrating solo run by wing-back Trevor McGrath.
Roscommon played catch-up f until just on the stroke of half time when Shane Sweeney collected a long clearance by goalkeeper Keith Snell, and Sweeney's astute pass was swept to the net by fullforward Ronnie Kennedy.
It was an equalising goal that sent the sides in at the break at 1-9 each.
With Gary Doran and Casey O'Brien well in control at midfield, Wicklow took a tight grip on the exchanges after the change of ends, their lethal full-forward line of Timmy Collins, Wayne O'Gorman and Edward Kennedy tearing the Roscommon defence to shreds.
In all the trio accounted for 4-8 of their side's total during the course of the game.
Second-half goals by Kennedy (2) and O'Gorman put the game beyond any doubt long before a three-man Roscommon move yielded a goal from corner-forward Brendan Mannion.
The goal was then followed by two late points from substitute David Hogan but it was all too little, too late, however, as Wicklow ran out rampant winners.
Victory in this, the last final in this grade, made amends for Wicklow's defeat in the three previous finals which they contested, having lost to London in 1995, Derry in 1996 and Laois last year.
WICKLOW: K Snell; M J O'Neill, G Keogh, G Birmingham; L Kennedy, M A O'Neill, T McGrath; G Doran, C O'Brien (0-1); J Keogh (0-5), D Hyland (0-2), J Murphy; T Collins (0-1), W O'Gorman (2-4), E Kennedy (2-3). Subs: D Moran for Doran; E O'Sullivan for M A O'Neill; M O'Brien for E Kennedy; G Murphy for Keogh; D Curran for L Kennedy.
ROSCOMMON: A Tully; M Keaveney, M Healy, M Mulvey; N Cuniffe, T Reddington, L Murray; M Connaughton (0-1), S Sweeney; T Kelly, A Kelly, C Kelly; B Mannion (1-0), R Kennedy (1-2), D Mulvey (0-8). Subs: D Hogan (0-2) for Sweeney; S Curley for T Kelly.
Referee: J McDonnell (Tipperary)
