The Waterford footballers went down to Wicklow by 2-8 to 0-8 at a sunny Fraher Field this afternoon in Division 4.
Second half goals from Dean Healy and Cillian McDonald saw Oisin McConville's side earn promotion to Division 3 for 2024. Jason Curry converted three frees for Waterford while Dermot Ryan and Conor Murry got points two each from play.
Wicklow had an anxious wait when the full time whistle went before they could celebrate. The roars from the travelling fans in the stand eventually told the players that Sligo had beaten Leitrim and that they were going up.
The sides were level four times in the first half. Déise captain Dermot Ryan kicked two from play off his left boot. Cian O'Sullivan slotted four dead balls and goalkeeper Mark Jackson nailed two long range frees as Wicklow went in 7-5 ahead at the break. Waterford netminder Paudie Hunt tipped away a shot from Andy Maher before the home side lost Michael Kiely to a black card in injury time.
Both teams missed chances in a nervy third quarter. On 55 minutes, Dean Healy exchanged passes with Darragh Fitzgerald and buried the ball to the bottom corner of the Waterford net (1-8 to 0-6). The Déise could only manage three second half points with the breeze via Murray, Brian Lynch and Curry. With four minutes remaining, the hosts lost the ball deep in their own defence and Eoin Darcy played the ball across the face of goal for Cillian McDonald to fist to the net.
Scorers for Waterford: J Curry 0-3 (3fs), C Murray, D Ryan 0-2 each, B Lynch 0-1.
Scorers for Wicklow: D Healy 1-1, C O'Sullivan 0-4 (3fs, 1 mark), C McDonald 1-0, M Jackson 0-2 (2fs), P O'Toole 0-1.
Waterford: P Hunt; C Ó Cuirrín, D O Cathasaigh, L Fennell; D Ryan, B Looby, J O'Sullivan; M Curry, B Lynch; C Murray, D Corcoran, J Curry; E McGrath Butler, S Whelan Barrett, M Kiely.
Subs: B Hynes for Whelan Barrett (52), D Fitzgerald for Kiely (65), D Reidy for Corcoran (71), J Keane for Lynch (74), D Boland for Ó Cuirrín (74).
Wicklow: M Jackson; M Stone, E Murtagh, J McCall; C McDonald, P O'Kane, A Maher; D Healy, JP Hurley; E Darcy, S Murphy, A Murphy; C O'Sullivan, P O'Toole, M Kenny.
Subs: D Fitzgerald for S Murphy (41), C Maguire for A Murphy (48), J Keogh for O'Sullivan (56), J Gilligan for Maher (67), A McHugh for Healy (71).
Referee: F Pierce (Offaly)
