WICKLOW ROVERS AFC CLUB NOTES WEEK ENDING 13th FEBRUARY 2022

The Leinster Senior team travelled to take on Dundrum FC on Saturday and it proved to be a game full of goals. Rovers produced a first half display of what can only be described as their worst performance of the season. A half littered with mistakes saw the home side hit the break with a commanding lead. The lads found themselves 2-0 down early in play with the only positive in the first period being a twenty minute free kick from Adam Cox which struck the foot of the post. Things only got worse for Rovers as the half progressed with the home team tagging on three further goals to go in at the break 5-0 up. The second half was fifteen minutes old when Rovers pulled one back for what seemed at the time to be just a consolation goal. Then on seventy minutes Rovers pulled another back, was a comeback on the cards and the answer was a definite yes. Two goals in a minute around the seventy fifth minute and another with nine minutes left saw the comeback complete with the game all square at 5-5. Rovers had the momentum and looked to be the side to go on and win but they got caught with a sucker punch deep into injury time as the home side nabbed a sixth to run out 6-5 winners. Dylan Orr fired home an excellent hat-trick, Sam Brown and Paul Newsome added singles. This performance sums up the lad’s season, it shows the inconsistency in their play. The first half showed the bad side while the second half performance and recent performances against the top two showed with more consistency what this team can achieve. Anyway, its back to the drawing board now.

Our two WDFL teams fell foul of the overnight heavy rain with their games being postponed while our under 18 girls MGL game against Greystones United was cancelled too.

The action on the senior front started on Friday night when the under 19’s entertained Coolboy Rangers under the lights at Whitegates. After a closely fought encounter between two evenly matched sides it was Coolboy who ran out 2-1 winners. The lads were cruelly denied a share of the spoils when Coolboy snatched the winner in the dying seconds. The game itself was cagey enough throughout and just as it looked like it was heading for the draw disaster struck. In a good all round team performance from the Rovers lads it was Ewan Culbert who scored the Rovers goal for his second of the season.

Our under 16’s made the long journey to Cork to take on Youghal United in the last 32 of the SFAI cup. Home advantage means a lot at this stage of the competition and it proved to be the case. Youghal roared on by a big home support edged Rovers out winning 3-1. Rovers made the early running with both Lorcan Sinnott and Brandon Battams going close. Alex Earls was next to go close for Rovers when his header beat the keeper only to strike the woodwork. The home side had their own chances and Matthew Keane in the Rovers goal came to their rescue on a couple of occasions. The home side went in front five minutes before the break with a looping effort which just evaded the Rovers keeper. Charlie Czwalina levelled matters with a beautiful lobbed effort from thirty yards in the second period. Then came a crucial moment of the game, the home side were awarded a corner with Rovers maintaining the ball had gone out of play for a throw, from the resulting corner the home team went in front. Rovers pushed forward in search of an equaliser but they got hit on the break with Youghal putting the game to bed with a third goal. This was a great achievement for this group of players reaching the last 32 of the National cup, they were a credit to themselves, their families and the club. Well done Trevor, Ray and the team and with the semi final of the south Leinster to look forward to we wish you the best of luck in that.

The club are currently seeking players for a couple of our teams, we are looking to add players to our under 12 blue team [Born 2010] and our under 13 white team [Born 2009]. If you have a son or daughter interested in playing football, come along and join the team. For anyone that is interested they should contact Ross Byrne at wicklowroversregister@gmail.com or at 086-1551707 .

Everyone at Wicklow Rovers AFC would like to extend their sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ray Clancy, Dunganstown East and formerly of Derrynane Gardens, Sandymount, Dublin who sadly passed away recently. Ray was a prominent member of our committee over the years, doing a lot of hard work to help the progression of the club. Ray also managed at junior level and was responsible for a lot of young players coming through the ranks. Our thoughts and prayers are with his children Nikki, Craig and Seoidin, grandchildren Jake, Ollie and Zach, sister Rosaleen, son-in-law Simon, also Dee and Michelle, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. May he rest in peace.