Rathnew on course
Arklow United’s hunger was to make them a real threat
THE bold headline over the Wicklow Cup preview yelled ‘Arklow United can stop Rathnew juggernaut’ but there must have been a sense that everything was pointing to a Rathnew victory in their third Wicklow Cup final on the trot.
The reason for this was that Arklow United had fallen in two finals in the two weekends prior to the final in the Carlisle Grounds, one of them at the hands of Rathnew, and how they would react to those disappointments would go a long way to determining the outcome of the big one.
A narrow defeat to neighbours Arklow Town was the first blow to the chin, that coming in the final of the Noble Waste Premier Division Shield final, played at the Carlisle Grounds.
Arklow Town’s Jason Kinch grabbed the game’s only goal and the Black and Whites celebrated in style having pipped the local rivals and no doubt dented the confidence of the Ferndale Park outfit as they headed for the Charlie Bishop Cup final against their Wicklow Cup final opponents.
It was back to the Carlisle Grounds again for this one and it was a similar result with Rathnew claiming victory by 1-0 to retain the title, with team captain Eamon Franey heading powerfully past
Brian Hersee for the game’s only goal on 37 minutes.
Two defeats on the trot was not the ideal preparations for the Wicklow Cup final for Kelty’s men but in saying that they had faced the Rathnew ‘juggernaut’ as they were described in the preview and they would know as far as was possible what was coming down the tracks the following Sunday afternoon and, perhaps, those defeats might spur them on to greater things.
‘Only a large-scale collapse will prevent Rathnew from again winning the league, and the team they beat in last Sunday’s final, Arklow United, stand in their way of bringing the Wicklow Cup home,’ read the final preview in the Wicklow and Bray People newspapers of Thursday, May 15, 1997.
‘However, it will be far from easy,’ it continued. ‘Arklow United reached all three finals this season and as well as last Sunday’s defeat, have already been beaten in the final of the Noble Waste Premier Shield by Arklow town.
‘So, they will be more than determined to claim something out of this season by winning the last trophy they can on Sunday.
‘This has been Arklow United’s first season in the Premier Division, and under the expert guidance of manager Sean Kelty, they have given some of the more established teams something to think about.
‘After leading the league table for a while, they slipped back a bit in the last third of the season but are still a match for anyone on their day.
‘The manager’s son, Paul Kelty, is one of the top players in the Wicklow League as evidenced by his selection on the Oscar Traynor squad. Kelty is capable of playing in any position on the field and, if in top form, will take come stopping.
‘Meanwhile, the likes of Laurence ‘Harry’ Harte, Alan Redmond, Mark O’Reilly and Tom O’Neill (the only surviving player to feature in the Cup-winning team of 1985) can all be called upon to turn in impressive performances.
‘Already in the Cup, United have accounted for Emmet Celtic, Avonmore, Kilcoole United, as well as long-time league leaders St. Patrick’s on away territory, and Aughrim Rangers in the semi-final,’ the review read.
It was a mixture of teams from the top flight and lower divisions who fell to Rathnew during their march to the Carlisle.
Their only serious test came in the quarter-final when they emerged from an extra-time battle with Arklow Town as 4-3 winners.
‘It’s essentially a young team which has inspired Rathnew to all the success over the last two seasons.
‘The average age of the side is about 23 with Eamon Franey, Mick McDonald and Joe Ronan the veterans.
‘Joe Ronan is facing into his eighth Wicklow Cup final and that is surely a record.
‘In many of their matches this season, Rathnew have been tearing teams apart with their rapid-fire passing movements down through the field.
‘Jason Doyle, Anthony and Barry Mernagh and Robert Doyle are often at the heart of these attacks, and several members of the team have shown throughout the year that they are well able to stick the ball in the back of the net.
‘Revenge will be uppermost on the minds of Arklow United and, determined to salvage something out of the season, there will be no shortage of heart in their bid for victory.
‘That, and their proven ability, could send them on course to claim the trophy,’ it read.