Extra agony for ’Scorthy
Year ends with cup defeat
ENNISCORTHY’S SEASON came to a shuddering halt at Ross Road on Sunday when they were beaten in the Bank of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup quarter-final by Wicklow.
There was of course a concern as to how they would react to losing their league crown the week before. They were edgy for most of the game and they made a lot of unforced errors.
Wicklow, the cup holders, took the lead after ten minutes when Niall Earls slotted a penalty from the left-hand side of the ’22. Wicklow were playing with a very strong breeze.
Seven minutes later Enniscorthy conceded a soft penalty and Earls stretched the lead to 6-0.
Enniscorthy suffered a blow when they lost influential wing forward Tom Ryan who pulled a hamstring after 20 minutes. He was replaced by John Daly who had a fine match.
The home team eventually produced a move which resulted in a try for Ivan Jacob who was on the end of a swift attack. Ivan Poole kicked an excellent conversion from close to the touchline.
Enniscorthy again transgressed and were punished when Earls punched another kick between the posts to put the visitors 9-7 in front. It got worse for the home team when they had full-back Ross Barbour red-carded.
His last man despairing tackle on Wicklow’s Eoin O’Sullivan was deemed high and dangerous by the referee, and he was sent to the line.
Wicklow elected to go to the corner but Enniscorthy won the line-out. It was a tight game in the first-half with Wicklow the better team.
The opening period of the second-half was dogged and scrappy with Enniscorthy, although a man down, spurning some scoring chances. Wicklow’s Dean Leonard almost scored a try after an intercept, and it took a brilliant Poole tackle to stop a score.
Five minutes later Ivan Poole kicked a superb penalty to put Enniscorthy in front at last. They were to lose the influential number 10 Poole to injury with 20 minutes remaining though.
Killian Lett, who moved to fill the 10 berth, dropped an excellent goal with his left peg to stretch the lead to four points, and with eight minutes remaining he kicked another drop goal, this time with his right leg.
As the clock wound down the extra player for Wicklow was starting to tell, and after a period of some really stubborn Enniscorthy defence, their line was eventually breached by Shane Farrar.
Earls added a dramatic conversion to tie up the sides at 16-16.
Both teams now faced extra-time, two halves of ten minutes. Earls kicked Wicklow in front after a high tackle on Paddy Cullen, and just before the end of the first period of the extra-time Stephen Duffy stretched the lead with a beautiful drop goal that curled in on the wind and established a 22-16 lead.
Enniscorthy threw the kitchen sink at Wicklow who generally held firm with some ferocious tackling. Enniscorthy, knowing a converted try would secure the win, almost succeeded when Ivan Jacob broke through. With the line in sight he was halted with a superb last-ditch tackle and alas the chance was gone.
It was a match that could have gone either way but Enniscorthy will be very disappointed for the second week in a row with their first-half performance, and so a season of so much promise has ended in a disappointing damp squib.
Credit it to Wicklow as they never gave up and they also came into the game rested and safe in the knowledge that they had finished top of Division 1B.
Team: Angelo Todisco (James Doyle), Davy Murphy (John Nolan), Joe Bulmer, Tomás Stamp, Tom Ryan (John Daly), Greg Jacob, Nick Doyle, Evan Lett (Arthur Dunne), Ivan Poole (Hughie O’Neill), Hughie O’Neill (David O’Dwyer), Daniel Pim, Killian Lett, Ivan Jacob, Ross Barbour.