Glenview favourites
But Kilcoole could benefit from a difficult campaign
IT was Premier against Division 1 when Glenview met Kilcoole United in the Hills of Arklow Wicklow Cup final in May of 1993 in the Carlisle Grounds.
Both teams were there entirely on merit but that difference in placings was influencing pundits and members of the soccer public in the county to swing towards the Glenview side when it came to tipping either team as a winner.
Kilcoole United had the tougher run in to the big final, taking seven games to get the job done (including two replays), scoring 11 goals and conceding just four suggesting that theirs was a defence that would be difficult to break down.
Glenview’s path to the final was more of a march, winning their five games on the day and only really struggling against the defending champions Little Bray in the semi-final, drawing 3-3 after extra-time before winning 4-3 on penalties.
Kilcoole endured penalties in their semi-final as well, on the way to slaying another Premier powerhouse, Greystones in the Carlisle Grounds on a Sunday evening.
An earlier victory for the Goosebankers over Greystones in the Bishop Cup didn’t suggest that a similar result would unfold in the Wicklow Cup semi-final but that never-say-die spirit in the Kilcoole side earned them a 2-2 draw after extra-time and they toppled the top dogs 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out.
It would be Kilcoole goalkeeper Michael Campbell who would be the hero at the end of the penalties, saving from Paul Scully and Declan O’Connor while Declan Bollard hit the post with his effort. Derek Campbell netted the winning spot kick for Kilcoole with John Young and Pat ‘Boxer’ Doyle also firing home past John Byrne in the Greystones goal.
Freddie Hamiton had given Kilcoole the lead in the game itself two minutes before half-time when he ran onto a fine ball from Martin
Merriman and slid home past the advancing Byrne.
Hamilton would leave the fray early in the second half, a turn of events that seemed to unsettle the Goosebankers.
The Greystones men were now piling on the pressure and nobody was overly shocked when Declan O’Connor volleyed home the equaliser in the 64th minute. O’Connor would have two further chances to win the semi-final in the last few moments but he shot just over on both occasions.
Their ticket to the Wicklow Cup final then looked to be reserved when Paul Scully stabbed home from close range after Stephen Gammell had headed across the face of the goal.
However, Kilcoole struck back within two minutes with Derek Campbell poking in a John Young cross to spark off wild celebrations on the terraces.
Earlier that day Glenview had disposed of their local rivals Little Bray United, ending their hopes of a successful defence of the title that had won when beating Aughrim Rangers 12 months previous.
The penalty shoot-out was described as ‘thrilling’ and the game itself ‘exhilarating’ in the following week’s Wicklow and Bray People newspapers.
Neither side deserved to lose such a wonderful game was the consensus and the semi-final was reported as a great advertisement for Wicklow League football.
Interestingly, it was a goalkeeper in this semi-final who would be crowned as the hero just as it was Michael Campbell in the other. Glenview’s Karl Clarke saved two spot kicks, the first from Chris ‘Kit’ O’Neill, the second from Jim Devlin.
Stephen Harris had put Glenview’s opener wide of the target, the situation was saved when Mick Mohan, Sean Stephens, Ger Byrne and David Murphy all converted. Kieran ‘Tarzan’ O’Brien, John Bishop and Billy Treacy scored for Little Bray but their hopes vanished when Clarke saved the final penalty from Devlin. 4-3 it would finish in the shoot-out.
The game itself had been a thriller, ending in a 3-3 draw. A Kieran ‘Tarzan’ O’Brien lob opened the scoring in the fourth minute but the talented Joe Ronan headed home the equaliser two minutes later before Michael Fegan edged them in front with a glorious header following a well-flighted free-kick from David Murphy with the game not yet in double figures.
Joe Ronan turned provider soon after, beating two defenders before sending a sweet pass into the path of Jason Kelly who drilled home from eight yards for a 3-1 lead.
Little Bray made some tactical moves to stop the rot. John Bishop came on for Darren Keating and Eddie McCann went to right back.
This certainly seemed to have some effect as Chris Martin pulled one back after 28 minutes when he headed home from a Chris Martin corner.
Stephen Martin would bag the equaliser after a goal-mouth scramble and while both sides had chances to win it in extra-time it was on to that thriller of a penalty shoot-out with Glenview emerging the victors.
The Premier outfit were being given the favourites tag in the preview in the Wicklow and Bray People newspapers the week prior to the big final. Their somewhat erratic league form that season (they were sitting in third at that time behind Greystones on top with 33 points from 19 games, Little Bray in second on 31 points after 18 games. Glenview had played 20, won 12, drew four and lost four to leave them five behind the leaders) was considered but the conclusion that they could beat anyone on their way was reached given the evidence from their semi-final victory over the defending champions.
The side were congratulated for reaching the final at all given that they had lost so many players at the start of the season.
‘They will be pinning their hopes on strikers Declan Harris, Joe Ronan and Jason Kelly, who have contributed eight goals between them thus far in the cup campaign,’ read the preview. ‘former St Earnan’s and Wicklow Rovers star, Joe Ronan, is capable of turning any game on its head. Having won four cup medals already, he will be determined to add a fifth on Sunday.
‘Apart from that penalty shootout win over Little Bray, when young goalkeeper Karl Clarke was their match winner, Glenview have had a rather comfortable passage to the final. Their wins over Northend United, Orchard United, Newtown United and Ashford Rovers B were achieved with a minimum of fuss.
‘Having lost two successive finals in 1989 (to Wicklow Rovers) and 1990 (to Rathnew), the Darglesiders will be hoping to make it third time lucky on Sunday. Their only cup final victory came in 1973 when they beat St Earnan’s 3-2, the legendary Pat Kinsella scoring twice on that occasion. Sadly, Glenview went out of existence a couple of years later but reformed in 1988,’ it read.
Kilcoole were described in the preview as the ‘surprise packets of the season’ with Jimmy Gilvert’s side reported to have reach two cup finals and a semi-final.
A sixth position in Division 1 suggested that their league hopes were all but dead and buried (they were 16 points behind leaders Wolfe Tone Wanderers albeit with four games in hand) but the Wicklow Cup final was presenting them with a golden chance to end the season with some precious silverware.
‘Goalkeeper Michael Campbell was the hero of their semi-final win over Greystones, stopping two penalties in the shoot-out,’ read the preview. ‘He is one of four survivors from Kilcoole’s last cup winning team, the others being John Young, Pat ‘Boxer’ Doyle and Derek Campbell.
‘The Goosebankers came from behind to see off Arklow Town 3-1 in that 1986 final and they will be hoping for a similar result on Sunday.
‘John Young remains one of the top strikers in the league as was witnessed a fortnight ago when Kilcoole gave Little Bray a great game in the Bishop Cup semi-final.
‘He also scored a stunning goal in the recent representative game between the Wicklow League and Swindon.
‘But Kilcoole are by no means a one-man team. Sean Greene, Derek Campbell and Freddie Hamilton have managed eight goals between them in this year’s competition.
‘United have had a much tougher path to the final, having edged out Greystones on penalties and needing replays to overcome the challenges of Enniskerry Youth Club and Wicklow Town. Their other victories came at the expense of Roundwood and Wolfe Tone Wanderers.
‘A close final is expected, But Glenview would appear to have most of the aces.
‘However, Kilcoole have upset the applecart before, and they will be confident of doing so again.’