STUNNING REVIVAL
Deans saves Shamrocks as Hayden loss hurts Village
SHAMROCKS RATHNEW 3-12 4-1
THIS game saw the renewal of one of the traditional rivalries between two of the aristocrats of Wicklow football. It was east meeting west. They met in the Minor final the week previous, with Rathnew coming out on the victors. Who would it be on this glorious morning for football in Baltinglass?
It was tight and cagey from the start in this game. It was eight minutes old when Shamrocks opened the scoring with a point from Jack Fleming. Fleming and Jordan Deans were causing havoc in the Rathnew full back line in the opening minutes, with Fleming being denied a certain goal by Paddy Reynolds in the Rathnew goal. He then blasted wide from close range before injuring himself in the process.
At the other end, Rathnew were employing the age-old tactic of route one football to the big man on the square. The big man they had on the square was full of confidence after receiving man of the match in the minor final seven days ago. Sean Coffey was that man, and he was winning all the ball in there.
Coffey was the catalyst for four Rathnew goals in the first half. He popped a pass to Jenson Cox who slotted the first goal to the net on 10 minutes. He then broke the ball down to the oncoming Rory Dowling, who slotted the ball to the net soccer style in the 16th minute. They were laying siege to the Shamrocks goal.
Shamrocks answered this with two points of their own through Alan Barrett and a free from goalkeeper William Rogers. With this, they added a goal through corner forward Tadhg O’Toole, as he turned his man, stepped inside the goalie and slotted home.
Back up the other end, Coffey continued to cause problems. This time he latched on to a long ball, turned his man and headed for the net, which he found with aplomb. Directly from the kick out, Rathnew turned the ball over. The same routine – into Coffey, wins it, pops to Cox again and back of the net.
The Shamrocks moved Paddy Whelan back to full back to marshal the Rathnew goal threat. They steadied the ship before half time and rattled off four points without reply. Sean Doody, Jason Sinnott and two frees from William Rogers.
Two points the difference at half-time – Shamrocks 1-7, Rathnew 4-0.
The second half of this game saw the Shamrocks grow into the game. Jordan Deans came screaming into the game, winning a mountain of ball. He was ably assisted by Alan Barrett who started the scoring, with Jason Sinnott adding a free.
Rathnew got their only score of the second half through Sam O’Dowd in the 13th minute, as Shamrocks began to take over. Rathnew were also rocked by the loss of centre back JT Hayden just before half-time through injury.
The Shamrocks kicked on in the last 15 minutes of this game, as they added 2-3 without return. Deans was the target man this time as he grabbed two goals. He picked up the ball on the 45 in the 58th minute, he set sail for goals, stepping one man, then another, and smashes it to the net. Less than a minute later, a shot for a point dipped towards goal. It was tipped on to the cross bar by the Rathnew keeper, it bounces down and Deans is there to tap it home.
In this period, the Shamrocks were adding points regularly. Alan Barrett added two points to his tally, with Arun Daly Danne coming in to get a score also.
The Shamrocks will be happy with this performance coming from behind to win. Sean Doody, Paddy Whelan, Jordan Deans and Alan Barrett putting in massive performances.
Rathnew will be happy with their first half performance and, in true Rathnew form, they battled to the very end. Ciaran and Sean Coffey, Fionn O’Sullivan and Sam O’Dowd all showing well.
Scorers – Shamrocks: Jordan Deans 2-0, Alan Barrett 0-4, William Rogers 0-3, Tadhg O’Toole 1-0, Jason Sinnott 0-2, Sean Doody 0-1, Jack Fleming 0-1, Arun Daly Danne 0-1.
Rathnew: Jenson Cox 2-0, Sean Coffey 1-0, 15 1-0, Sam O’Dowd 0-1.
SHAMROCKS:
William Rogers; Jason Sneed, Darragh Doyle, Paddy Kirwan; Karl Furlong, Paddy Whelan, Colm Keogh; Sean Doody, Cian Lee; Wesley Balfe, Jason Sinnott, Aaron Byrne; Jack Fleming, Jordan Deans, Tadhg O’Toole. Subs: Alan
Barrett for Jack Fleming, Adam Wynne for Wesley Balfe, Liam Fisher for Jason Sinnott, Arun Daly Danne for Tadhg O’Toole, Dino Marchu for Aaron Byrne.
Paddy Reynolds; Fionn O’Sullivan, Jack Healy, Charlie O’Brien; Arnie Quinn, JT Hayden, Nicky Kearney; Sam O’Dowd, Ciaran Coffey; Cian Hunter, Jenson Cox, Luke Corcoran; Dylan Smyth, Sean Coffey, Rory Dowling. Subs: Cian Furlong for JT Hayden, Adam Doyle for Cian Hunter.
RATHNEW: REFEREE:
Eugene O’Brien