WICKLOW ROVERS AFC CLUB NOTES WEEK ENDING 31st OCTOBER 2021

Our Leinster Senior side had a good solid 2-0 home win over Dublin Hospitals FC at Whitegates on Saturday afternoon. The first half proved to be a tight affair with very little between the two teams, chances were at a premium but one of those chances fell to Sam Brown who delicately lobbed the keeper to give Rovers a 1-0 half time lead. Rovers stepped up the pace in the second half and eight minutes in Sam Brown went close to doubling the Rovers lead only to be denied by the keeper. The resulting Ian Brannigan corner was glanced narrowly wide from the head of David O’Connor. Minutes later Doc showed great determination to work himself into a scoring position only to be denied by the keeper. On sixty five minutes the away keeper had to react quick to push a Peter Finnegan free kick away. Rovers finally put the game to bed with three minutes left on the clock, a flowing move involving Rikki Quinn, Tommy Smullen and Jim Foley saw Dylan Orr coolly slot the ball home past the advancing keeper. This was a good solid team performance from the lads with Sam Brown been a consistent threat up front just edging man of the match. The WDFL premier team went down 4-3 at home to Ashford Rovers on Friday night at a rain drenched Whitegates. Ashford raced into a two goal lead by the half hour mark. Just before the break the lads pulled one back when a great run and cross by Jamie Power was turned into the net by an Ashford defender. Early in the second half Ashford restored their two goal lead from the penalty spot. With nine minutes left it was 3-2 after Jamie Power fired home and then his brother Alan drew them level when he fired home a free kick from just outside the area. Disaster struck deep into injury time when Ashford plundered what proved to be the winner. Brothers Jamie and Alan Power stood out for the team and the lads will be disappointed they didn’t get something from the game. The WDFL second team played out a tight tense local derby with local neighbours Rathnew at Whitegates on Sunday afternoon. This was a game where both sides gave it a hundred percent, the only surprising thing was we had no goals. Rovers will be delighted with this point as Rathnew arrived at Whitegates unbeaten in four games and the lads had suffered a heavy defeat last time out. All in all, it was a good performance from the whole team with Aaron Meade coming in for a special mention as he put in a very impressive display on his return to the football circles.

A very much understrength under 18 girls side went down 4-2 to Baldoyle United on Sunday morning at Whitegates. The girls were very much understrength with only the bare eleven players available on the day. The girls found themselves 2-0 up at the break courtesy of a brace of goals from top scorer Molly Sweeney. Fatigue played a major part during the second half with no substitutes available on the day for Rovers, Baldoyle had the advantage of fresh legs in the second half and used that successfully to stage a comeback and take the win hitting four unanswered goals to run out 4-2 victors.

On the junior front on Saturday our under 12 greens had an excellent 3-0 away victory over Arklow Town. Ciaran McCaul brought his tally for the season to twenty eight with a goal, Rhys Behan notched his sixth of the campaign and Giorgio Morgillo scored his second of the season in a very impressive team performance to keep their good run of form going. The under 12 white team had an excellent 9-1 away win over Enniskerry, Martha Lambert and Bruno Tejada both fired home fantastic hat-tricks, there were firsts of the season for Aaron Byrne and Brandon Mitchell with Max Sado nabbing his fourth of the campaign to complete the scoring in an excellent team performance. The 14A’s travelled to take on Glencormac United and came home with all three points after a fine 7-1 victory. Jack O’Leary and Steven Kavanagh both fired in two a piece with Arthur Curran, Jack Byrne and Joe Culleton all hitting the rigging once in what was an excellent all round team performance. The 14B’s came up against a very strong St Anthonys side and went down to a 6-2 defeat. To the team’s credit they battled throughout the game and right up to the final whistle. Adam O’Brien and James Dunne were the Rovers marksmen on the day. On Sunday the under 13’s had a fine 3-2 home win over Ashford Rovers at Whitegates. Sam Behan, Naoise Delaney and Shane O’Reilly all found the net in what was a tense local derby.

If anyone is looking to purchase club gear it can be done online by visiting www.wicklowroversclubshop.com  So if it’s socks and shorts, a polo shirt, rain jacket, coaches jacket, etc or something small like a beanie hat, water bottle, face masks, etc just visit the club shop or contact Colin Hindle at wrafcshop@gmail.com or by text at 087-1278510 . Also, if you want to give someone a present for Christmas but don’t know what to buy you can purchase a club voucher, all club items will come with the club crest.

Anyone with anything for our club notes, Facebook page or our club website can contact me by email at jimmy.nolan09@hotmail.com or by text to 087-9108706 . For all news regarding the club, check out our club website at www.wicklowrovers.clubzap.com or the club facebook page.