Improved Pat’s power through
Ashford await in last eight
ST. PATRICK’S will meet Ashford in the quarter-finals of the Junior ‘A’ football championship, after Conor O’Brien’s goal and a disciplined second-half performance helped the men from Wicklow Town see off Aughrim on Saturday afternoon.
Despite creating numerous goal opportunities in the first half, Pat’s went into the break trailing by a point following Pierce Lawlor’s well worked major for the hosts. However, an improved display in the second, capped off by Conor O’Brien’s second goal in as many matches, set up a date with their nearby rivals in the last eight.
Defeat to Barndarrig in the last round identified what areas Pat’s needed to work on before Aughrim, who were playing their second game of the championship following defeat to Shillelagh-Coolboy in round one. For the most part, those issues seemed to have been addressed; the width of the field was used more diligently, while Ronan Murray and Conor O’Brien provided ample support runners when the ball was worked into the full-forward line.
It didn’t take long for Pat’s to threaten the Aughrim nets. Five minutes in, Niall Delahunt made a break through the lines, before forcing Cillian Donegan into a good double stop; the first of many saves to come. Pat’s were the more threatening, and a pair of Conor O’Brien frees, as well as a score from play from Jack Dunne gave them an early 0-4 to 0-1 advantage, while Dylan Kavanagh saw a shot saved by Cillian Donegan as Pat’s continued to try and find that goal.
It got worse for Aughrim on 13 minutes when Andrew Holt was withdrawn because of injury, with Patrick Phelan moved into midfield in a reshuffle. The hosts still posed Town danger, nonetheless, with Adam Rochford’s shot at goal being blocked away.
Pat’s remained the more formidable outfit when moving forward. On 20 minutes, Conor O’Brien, exhibiting this new energy and reinforcement that was evident in the half-forwards, exchanged passes with Jordan Petticrew, only for his strike at goal on the spin to meet the external side-netting.
While Pat’s were working towards killer goals, Aughrim were quietly going about their business at the other end. A Conor Phelan free was followed by a Conor Lambert score from play to reduce arrears to 0-5 to 0-4, before, for all of Wicklow’s pressure, it was Aughrim who fired the first major shot across the bow.
A long ball up the field was broken on the 21 by Adam Keegan, before Conor Phelan gathered and worked it up to Lambert, who promptly shifted possession onto Pierce Lawlor to put the ball past Ian Murphy in the Wicklow goal.
Now two points down, Pat’s plugged away at bringing the gap back, but every effort was met and equalled by an Aughrim side that was forcing Pat’s into the same possessional errors that Barndarrig did. Phelan answered a Ronan Murray 45’ with a free, before Murray sent the sides into the break with just one point between them at 1-5 to 0-7.
Pat’s finally got the goal that they were looking for, early in the second-half. Jack Fox did well to cut in off the left, only for his shot to be blocked down well. After Dylan Kavanagh failed to gather possession, Conor O’Brien took it upon himself to collect the ball and take a shot that dropped in over the head of Donegan into the back of the net. Jack Fox followed up with a score of his own to put Pat’s into a three-point lead.
Conor Phelan responded with a pair of frees but Aughrim’s momentum was often quashed by the impressive James Kavanagh, Adam Quinn, and Aidan Dunne, while Pat’s adopted more of a counter-attacking impetus as the half wore on.
Jordan Petticrew took over free-taking duties from Conor O’Brien with a straightforward strike after Matthew Ryan – brought on for Dylan Kavanagh – did well to spin his man close to the by-line and win a free. Jack Dunne followed that with a score of his own to leave Aughrim needing four points to bring the deficit back.
They almost had their goal when Ian Murphy was penalised and booked for a footblock, leaving Robert Lambert with the chance from the penalty spot, only for Lambert to drag the shot wide of Murphy’s right-hand post. Up the other end, Ryan very nearly got their second goal of the day.
After Aidan Dunne did well to break up another Aughrim attack, Adam Quinn traded possession with Matthew Ryan, before the former sent the ball upfield. The ball broke in midfield, where it was gathered by Ryan, who charged forward and made his way past two Aughrim men. With the goal in sight, Ryan attempted to bend a shot into the top right corner, only for the ball to sail wide. Jordan Petticrew got the final score of the day to seal a date with Ashford, on August 23.