ROVERS RULE ROOST
Impressive display as home side see off St Anthony’s
WICKLOW ROVERS ST ANTHONY’S 4 2
WICKLOW Rovers produced an impressive display to see off the challenge of St Anthony’s in the Premier Division at a drenched Whitegates last Saturday evening.
The win for Boodhran Rampersaud’s men sees them sitting in sixth place in the top flight but condemns the Kilcoole side to bottom spot with only one win from three to date.
A pair of goals in each half did the damage for the home side, who seemed constantly capable of hurting St Anthony’s on the break while holding their own for the most part against an enterprising Kilcoole attack that will feel had chances to improve their lot but just couldn’t take them.
After testing the waters in the opening stages, the first real shot in anger arrived from St Anthony’s off the boot of the impressive Ryan Heffernan who drilled one low and hard from distance only to see Rovers’ goalkeeper Ian Murphy get down superbly to his right to parry the shot around the post for a corner.
It was a fine save and a statement of intent that said to St Anthony’s, ‘bring it on’.
For all their endeavour in attack, St Anthony’s were looking slightly vulnerable when Rovers managed to get the ball to their creative players like Dean Noble, Luca Rampersaud, Jack Kelly and Jamie Power and it was Power who opened the scoring after being released in behind the Anto’s rearguard by a sweet little ball from Rampersaud after tenacious work from Stephen Finlay to dispossess Emmet Kenna out on the wing with Noble starting the whole process with a sweetly floated ball from the midfield.
Power still had lots to do to be fair to him, but he took the ball cleverly around Anto’s netminder Robert McNamee and finished home with style for the game’s opener in heavy drizzle at Whitegates.
The visitors looked to get back on level terms immediately and came very close when a free kick from Stephen Hunt landed in the side netting of Ian Murphy’s goal and heralded a lonely shriek of celebration from someone who believed it to be a goal.
There were further wides from Daniel Lacey, Lee Dutton after a fine run up through the middle but Rovers were always dangerous on the break and it took Matthew Mannix to thwart Luca Rampersaud before Jack Kelly could only find the side netting of McNamee’s goal after the Anto’s netminder spread himself well.
A stunning run down the left wing from Daniel Lacey saw him take the ball past four Wicklow Rovers players before walloping a shot low and hard just past Ian Murphy’s post with the Wicklow Rovers goalkeeper getting a hand to it just in case.
Had it been on target, the run from Hunt would have made it a contender for goal of the season.
Worse was to follow for St Anthony’s, however.
The resulting corner was swung in deliciously to the heart of the Rovers defence but Patrick Woods couldn’t take advantage of a free header directly in front of Ian Murphy and the Anto’s man drilled the header straight at Murphy who gratefully gathered on his line.
Both sides worked themselves into useful positions with Declan Roper doing well to prevent Luca
Rampersaud and Ian Murphy gathering a long free kick at the other end.
Robert McNamee got down well to stop Jamie Power going around him for a second time.
But you sensed that the momentum was starting to grow on the Wicklow Rovers side and when Luca Rampersaud found himself on a one-on-one with defender Matthew Mannix after a swift counter from the home side he was able to buy himself some space and drill a low shot to the back of McNamee’s net for a 2-0 lead as the rain started to bucket down.
Things got a small bit spicy late in the first half but Jason Redmond and good sense calmed things down and both teams headed for shelter for the half-time break.
St Anthony’s got a massive boost not long into the second half when strong defending from Matt Mannix for the visitors sent his side on an attack that saw Declan Roper send in a low cross that was brilliantly controlled by Daniel Lacey and the ball sat up sweetly for him to fire low and hard past Ian Murphy for a major lifeline for the Kilcoole men.
The momentum gathered from that goal was soon lost, however, when Luca Rampersaud got on the end of a free kick to head beyond the stranded McNamee who arrived to claim.
Rovers had introduced Brian Cornyn at the break, and he brought a real energy to the contest for the home side in that second half.
Rovers could smell blood now, but Dean Noble’s effort was snuffed out by Robert McNamee while at the other end Patrick Woods had a decent chance from a low cross, but he couldn’t find the target from a stooped header in front of goal.
The game was as good as done when Luca Rampersaud played Jamie Power through with a lovely little ball and Power finished superbly underneath McNamee to make it 4-1 to the home side.
St Anthony’s battled in the pouring rain and pulled one back through the hard-working Patrick Woods but Rovers were never going to relinquish a two-goal lead in the conditions this game was being played in and they went on to register a fine win for a very impressive outfit who could cause real problems in this league.