It was with a mixture of relief and elation that goal scoring hero Richie Ryan greeted this impressive and badly need win for Donegal over their Nemesis from the Garden County.
For Ryan’s coolly finished goal in the 43rd minute was the effective coup de grace for an outgunned Wicklow side.
But even though Donegal were totally dominant, the memory of that ‘robbery’ in Aughrim kept him and his colleagues firmly focused to the bitter end on an icy day.
“It was great to finally get one over on them.
“They are a tough team, and even today, it was hard conditions with that wind and the scoreline does not reflect just how tight a game it was.
“They never give up either.
Asked about his crucial goal, he said:
“Declan Coulter looked across the square, and he picked out the pass to me and I had one touch and then thankfully the ball went into the net.
“I suppose that finally put a bit of light between the two teams as we were 1-12 to 0-3 up and it was always going to be hard for Wicklow to come back.
“It was hard going and I heaved a sigh of relief when the ball hit the net.”
Ryan paid tribute to a tight marking Donegal full-backline who stymied the threat of the towering Padraig Doyle and Wicklow’s persistent use of the high ball into the Tir Chonaill defence.
“We went through 70 minutes of doing well in Aughrim and we got caught with two late goals but we saw it out today.
“But there was always a bit of anxiety as Wicklow never give in and when they got that late goal, even though we had a ten point cushion, you would say we need to knuckle down and do what needs to be done and that was a great final point of Ronan McDermott’s.”
Ryan added that “we were prepared for this one.”
A win was a must for Donegal as they travel to Kerry next away and then to another bogey team in Derry away in the third game.
“A lot of it with us today was hunger and in our head that we just had to do it and we did.
“In the past we were waiting for it to happen.
“But it is great when you are clued into that, because we have the hurlers and the ability and the drive to do it.”