Small has a big impact Five-star Newtown fight back

Wicklow Rovers overturn a two-goal deficit

at Whitegates WICKLOW ROVERS HARTSTOWN/HUNT 3 2

IT was another important cup tie at Whitegates this week with Wicklow Rovers senior team entertaining Hartstown/ Huntstown in the first round of the Tom Carroll Cup.

Rovers started the strongest making all the early running forcing a succession of corners.

On six minutes Gareth Murphy went close with an effort that went just wide of the upright. Rovers kept the pressure on and after eleven minutes Daniel Tarcevskis forced the away keeper into a good save.

With Rovers seemingly in control of the game the away side went in front after fourteen minutes against the run of play.

A long ball over the top caught the home defence out and the Dublin side were one up.

Four minutes later came a moment of controversy, with Adam Cox bearing down on goal the last defender tripped Cox with the defender lucky only to receive a yellow card. The resulting free came to nothing.

Disaster struck for the home side midway through the half when Hartstown/Huntstown went 2-0 up.

Rovers kept piling forward and on the half hour mark they reduced the deficit when Aidan Small broke through on the left to coolly slot home.

A minute later it should have been all square, Daniel Tarcevskis found himself one on one with the keeper but his effort was straight at the netminder.

Four minutes before the interval Adam Cox came close to levelling when he shaved the top of the crossbar.

On the stroke of half-time Rovers got a deserved equaliser, a delicate chip from Tom Smullen over the away rearguard put Aidan Small through who slotted past the advancing keeper and the sides were all square going in at the break.

The second half started in the same manner as the first with Rovers producing all the attacking play, a minute after the resumption Small slid the ball through to Murphy who put his effort into the side netting.

A minute later a Theo Smyth header from a corner was saved by the away keeper.

On the hour mark the home side went close again, Murphy twisted and turned three defenders before his blistering drive was turned away by the keeper.

With twenty minutes left on the clock Mark Johnson won a free kick in the centre circle, Johnson’s quick free kick set Aidan Small in on goal but the keeper did well to race off his line to deny the Rovers attacker.

In the seventy seventh minute Theo Smyth got on the end of a Daniel Tarcevskis cross only to see his effort sail over.

Rovers were clearly dominating proceedings but there was always the danger of being hit on the break.

In fairness the Rovers defence of Dylan Orr, Ian Brannigan, David Rowan and Theo Smyth tightened up in the second period and limited the visitors to a couple of half chances and gave their keeper Rossa Marron a relatively quiet afternoon.

With ten minutes remaining Rovers got the all important third goal and it was no more than they deserved after their dominance for most of the game.

The ever dangerous and hard working Aidan Small saw his shot saved by the keeper, Tarcevskis then pounced on the rebound but his effort was blocked but Luke Byrne made no mistake as he fired home what proved to be the winner.

Rovers had one final chance before the end and that was an Adam Cox drive from the edge of the area that the keeper got down well to save.

Rovers deserved this victory and probably with the chances created they should have made the final result a lot more comfortable.

That said a win is a win, on the day the chances were created and that in it’s self is a good thing.

Rovers controlled the majority of the game with Mark Johnson, Tom Smullen and Adam Cox pulling the strings in the centre of the park.

This was a good all round team performance from Rovers but Aidan Small gets the nomination for man of the match, his two goals dragged Rovers back into the game after falling 2-0 behind.

His constant probing and running at the away defence gave the Dublin team’s defence a torrid time while he was very unlucky not to claim a hat-trick that his overall performance deserved.

TEAM: Rossa Marron, Dylan Orr, Ian Brannigan, David Rowan, Theo Smyth, Tom Smullen, Gareth Murphy, Mark Johnson, Daniel Tarcevskis, Aidan Small, Adam Cox. SUBS: Luke Byrne for (Tom Smullen 65 minutes), Paul Newsome for (Adam Cox 89 minutes), David O’Connor, Paul Sweeney and Peter Finnegan.

Andy McEvoy Premier

Holders Newtown United summoned up a rousing fightback to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in their Andy McEvoy Premier Division match against Arklow Celtic at Celtic Park on Sunday.

The visitors trailed 3-0 at the break, with a Mark Doyle double and a Gerry Sheehan goal seemingly having the hosts in control.

However, the Magpies were a transformed outfit after the interval and stormed back to take the three points, winning 5-3 with strikes from Dean Odlum, Seán Odlum, Shane Doyle, Seán Heffernan and an own goal.

Shawn Paul Dunne, Josh Graham, Gary Byrne and Jamie Snell hit the back of the net for Rathnew as they saw off Ashford Rovers 4-0 at Shamrock Park

Elsewhere in a battle of two title-hopefuls Avonmore overcame St Peter’s 1-0 (see focus match).

Pat O’Toole Division 2

Arklow United lead the way in the Pat O’Toole Division 2 after a 4-1 triumph against Avonmore on Sunday.

Calem Devereux helped himself to a double, with Mark Nolan and Stephen Kavanagh adding to their tally and Todd Byrne replying.

Shane Roche, Willie Kavanagh, Peter Walker, Cian Loughlin and Cian Kelly (two) scored for Arklow Town as they beat Derry Rovers 6-3, with Tommy Power, Jason Cowman and Ian St Ledger replying for Rovers.

Coolboy Rangers netted a magnificent seven as they went on a scoring spree away to Ballywaltrim. The visitors ran out 7-2 victors, with Jason Cush (two), Lorcan Rossiter, Bradley Walsh, Paddy Dixon, Diarmuid Lambert and Ross Patterson scoring for the winners.