Avonmore make class tell
Three second-half goals see off gallant Rovers outfit
WICKLOW ROVERS 0 AVONMORE FC 3
RHYS VAN DIJK and Cody Reid were the tormentors in-chief, as a trio of second-half goals helped Avonmore on their way to a straightforward 3-0 win away over Wicklow Rovers Youths on Saturday afternoon.
Following a goalless first period, Avonmore opened the scoring through substitute Cormac McGraynor at the start of the second, before Cody Reid doubled the scoring soon after. Shane Fitzpatrick rounded off the goals in injury-time as Avonmore left Whitegates with the three points.
While it would take until the second-half for Avonmore to open their account, they spent much of the rest of the game as the superior outfit. Van Dijk had the first chance for the visitors, only for his shot to be parried away by Aaron Lynch. Luke Kearney would have a header cleared off the line from a Ryan Hanlon corner as Rovers struggled to contain the away team.
Rovers would have their fair share of chances, as well. Charlie Leonard did well to reverse the ball into the path of Paul Marah, who had his shot saved by Avonmore ‘keeper, Daniel Morley.
Despite this, Avonmore were still the better side and should have been ahead when Cian Ward played a nice ball inside the full-back to Rhys Van Dijk, who then worked possession into Alex Olohan, only for Olohan to put the resulting chance over the bar, leaving the two sides to go into the break deadlocked at 0-0.
Rovers would have welcomed the half-time whistle, but the break in play did nothing to stop the visitors’ momentum, as they scored a trio of second-half goals to come away with the points.
It took just 10 minutes for Avonmore to finally snatch the lead that they deserved. Once again, it was Van Dijk at the epicentre, as he picked the ball up just outside the Wicklow area, before laying-off Cormac McGraynot, who had come on a few minutes prior.
McGraynor made no mistake with his resulting strike, as he drove into the bottom left-corner from the edge of the box.
Five minutes later, it was 2-0. A Wicklow kick-out fell short to Rhys Van Dijk. He slipped in Cody Reid. Reid waited for Aaron Lynch to rush out, before dinking his shot over him and into the back of the net.
The only thing missing from Avonmore’s afternoon was a goal for the outstanding Van Dijk. He went about changing that by dribbling past three Wicklow defenders on the edge of the box, only for TJ Russell to deny him with a crunching tackle.
Avonmore would get their third right at the death, but it wouldn’t be Van Dijk. Instead, an innocuous shot from Shane Fitzpatrick squeezed its way past Aaron Lynch, as Avonmore left Wicklow with the 3-0 win.
WICKLOW ROVERS: Aaron Lynch; Gary Dowling, Dean Doran, Paul Marah, Dylan Moriarty, Noah Stankus, Daragh Byrne, Aidan Hennessy, TJ Russell, Keane Byrne-Ryan, Charlie Leonard. Subs: Alex Butler (for N. Stankus), Oran Byrne (for D. Doran).
AVONMORE: Daniel Morley; Shane Fitzpatrick, Jack Manley, Drew Murray, Luke Kearney, Andrew Broncato, Ryan Hanlon, Alex Olohan, Cian Ward, Rhys Van Dijk, Cody Reid. Subs: Cormac McGraynor (for J. Manley).
REFEREE: Willie O’Brien.