WICKLOW ROVERS AFC CLUB NOTES WEEK ENDING 27th MARCH 2022

Our Leinster Senior side travelled to take on second placed Finglas United last Saturday and returned home with an excellent 3-1 victory. The home side drew first blood when they took the lead after twenty minutes with a fantastic strike. Rovers were well in the game and they nabbed a deserved equaliser just on the stroke of half time. Tommy Smullen picked out Ciaran McGettigan in the penalty area who was taken down after a clumsy challenge. Jim Foley stepped up to coolly slot home the spot kick. Soon after the break things got even better for Rovers when Ciaran McGettigan blasted in the second from a narrow angle. Ciaran McGettigan notched his second and Rovers third when he combined well with Daniel Tarcevskis before finding the back of the net. The home team were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes remaining and from this point onwards Rovers comfortably saw out the game for three good points in a good all round team display. The WDFL premier team’s second round Wicklow Cup game was called off due to a shortage of referees while both the under 18’s and 19’s games were off as well.

The junior section of the club kicked off on Thursday night under the Whitegates floodlights with the under 16’s taken on Enniskerry. Rovers took on early lead through Lorcan Sinnott and dominated the early stages. Then disaster struck from nowhere when the visitors hit Rovers with two goals in as many minutes. Rovers managed to claw it back and go in at the break all square at 2-2. The lads went into overdrive in the second half when they hit Enniskerry with four unanswered goals to run out comfortable 6-2 winners. Lorcan Sinnott was on fire in front of goal as he bagged four with Charlie Czwalina firing home the other two in a good team display. On Saturday our under 12B team took on Aughrim Rangers at Whitegates in a lunchtime kick off. The game was played in glorious sunshine and the football on the pitch was equally as bright. At the final whistle the goals and points were shared in a 2-2 draw. Kubo Cielecki made it two in two games with one of the goals with Will O'Callaghan nabbing the other. Both teams remain unbeaten after two games with a win and this draw each. On Sunday the 12A’s travelled to Woodlands in Greystones and returned home with all three points in a clinical performance. Richard Carton is definitely on fire in front of goal, he followed up last week’s double with another fine brace on Sunday. Milo Malcolmson also scored for the second game running when he hit a single. A first of the season for both Kale Conyard and Tiernan Shortall completed the scoring to give the team an excellent 5-0 victory to maintain their unbeaten start to the season in a fine team performance. Our 13A's entertained early league pacesetters St Anthonys at Whitegates. It proved to be a very tight affair with both defences very much on top throughout. The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock was when a Sean O'Brien effort hit the post in the first half. A point a piece was probably a fair outcome on the balance of play. Our 13B team played their second game of the season when they travelled to Greystones. They got off to the worst possible start conceding two early goals which probably should have been avoided. At 2-0 down Rovers had Darragh Reddin in between the posts to thank for keeping them in the game with an excellent save. This seem to spur the team on and it wasn’t long before Abdul Alhamad got Rovers back in it, reducing the deficit with a good goal before the break. If Rovers were slow out of the traps in the first period it was the complete opposite in the second as they netted two early goals to take the lead, one from Abdul Alhamad and another from Sam Conyard. Then Abdul found the net again for his hat-trick to make it 4-2. Soon after Sam Conyard got himself another couple of goals to complete his hat-trick in fine style. Kale Conyard helped himself to a goal with Cian Lynch nabbing one to finish off the scoring with a well taken goal to make it a good 8-2 win for the lads and make it two wins from two games on the road. The under 15's got back to winning ways with a tough 2-0 win at home to Aughrim Rangers. On the balance of play Rovers were worth their victory but the away side made it tough for them. Jack Byrne fired home two fine goals to bring his tally to three in three games to earn his side three good points at sunny Whitegates. This was a good team performance from the lads.

The club’s weekly junior soccer academy continues every Saturday morning [weather permitting] under the watchful eye of senior club coaches Johnny Dunne, Jimmy Nolan and John Kelly. The academy takes place on the club grounds at Whitegates and is open to all kids from the age of 3 years to 8 years. The academy starts at 11 o’clock and finishes at 12. There is no need for registration so you can come along to any week that suits. Come along and learn the skills of football while having fun and enjoyment, it’s a great way of meeting new friends as you learn the skills as you get prepared for the introduction to participate in organised league football in the coming years.

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.com or the club facebook page.