Marron saves the day
WICKLOW ROVERS MALAHIDE UNITED 2 1
WICKLOW Rovers’ Leinster Senior League team entered into Leinster Junior Cup action on Saturday afternoon when they entertained Malahide United in the first round of the competition.
After last week’s heroics away to Wayside Celtic in the FAI Junior cup Rovers were hoping to add another notable scalp to their name.
Malahide came to Whitegates sitting proudly at the summit of the Major 1 league and unbeaten in league action. The game saw the away side make the early running and after five minutes Rossa Marron in the Rovers goal was called on to turn a blistering shot over the bar and away to safety.
On the quarter hour mark Marron was called into action again, this time he clawed the ball away just when it seemed to be creeping under the bar. Rovers were slowly working their way into the game as they created a couple of half chances which came to nothing.
The deadlock was broken on 38 eight minutes when Rovers went in front from their first clear cut opening. The home side moved the ball well to create the opening for which the impressive Theo Smyth was grateful as he slammed the ball home to the delight of the home support.
Three minutes before the break Malahide went close to levelling but their effort drifted wide of the far post. The away side had most of the possession in the first half but the Rovers defence of Rikki Quinn, David Rowan, Ian Brannigan and Dylan Orr starved them of very little in the way of clear cut chances but when they tried their luck from distance they found no way past an inspired Rossa Marron in the Rovers goal.
The second period saw Rovers make a dream start when two minutes in they increased their lead, the hard working Aidan Small picked the ball up out on the right of the area, Small turned and blasted into the top right hand corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Malahide came close to pulling one back on 56 minutes but Dylan Orr was on hand to scramble the ball off the line. Rovers were now under the cosh but they held firm. Malahide piled forward but the Rovers defence battled hard.
On 75 minutes we probably witnessed one of the saves of the season and for a long time to come. With a seemingly unstoppable effort from the Malahide player looking destined for the top hand corner of the net the Rovers netminder Rossa Marron pulled off an unbelievable one-handed save to push the ball wide of the post, definitely a match winning moment.
The Dublin side did pull one back with two minutes left on the clock to make it a nervy ending to the game. The experience and pace of Luke Byrne won his side a couple of late frees to relieve the pressure at crucial moments in those dying minutes.
When the final whistle went the lads were out on their feet, a testament of the battling effort they put into the game. This was an excellent victory for Rovers and should fill them with confidence going forward.
As for man of the match l think there could be no doubting the nomination of young Rossa Marron in the Rovers goal, two excellent saves in the first half helped send his team in at the break 1-0 up and then that match winning moment in the 75th minute when the young man produced a save he had no right to get to, there definitely won’t be a better save seen at Whitegates this season.