The unstoppable force continues League crown followed after
Rathnew’s march appears relentless
better this time round and showed what we are capable of. I feel sorry for Arklow who could have had a treble themselves so it must be really hard for them to take,’ he said.
There were two key moments that had a bearing on the final outcome, according to Jameson.
‘The save Holly (Robert Hollingsworth) made after five minutes was outstanding, right out of the top drawer. And they had a reasonable shout for a penalty. Had they both gone in United’s favour, we could be talking about a different story,’ he added.
Arklow United’s Sean Kelty said the defeat was all part of the learning process for his side.
‘It wasn’t the result we wanted. It proved to be a little too much for us but it’s all part of the learning process. Rathnew wanted it more on the day,’ he said.
‘In the Charlie Bishop, we failed to take our chances, in this, we failed to create chances which is what you have to do to win games,’ he added.
Kelty, like Jameson, felt that the penalty call was correct after Mark Doyle had appeared to handle inside the area.
‘I think it was a penalty. If it had been given, it could have been 1-1 at that stage. It’s the sort of decision which can change games,’ he said.
Kelty reflected on the season in the moments after the final whistle 23 years ago.
We had an excellent campaign considering it’s our first time in the Premier Division,’ he said. ‘We reached three finals and nothing to take back home for our supporters who travelled up three times. They have been great, as have our sponsors, Kitty’s Bar,’ he added.
Man of the match from the final was Rathnew’s Don Doyle who said that they didn’t take Arklow United for granted and that the Ferndale Park side had made them work hard for their victory.
‘It’s a great privilege to have been selected and an honour to play on such a good team,’ he said in relation to winning his award.
Club legend Joe Ronan collected his seventh Wicklow Cup winners medal that day.
‘This medal means as much to me as my first,’ he said. ‘This is by far the best team I’ve played with,’ he added.
Robert ‘Rosie’ Doyle was another to go down in the record books following the victory over Arklow United. He scored in the 1995 win against Gorey Rangers, the 1996 victory over Lens United and got on the scoresheet on this day in 1997.
‘I’m ecstatic to have scored again but I’m getting used to it at this stage,’ he said.
The aforementioned superb save from Robert Hollingsworth arrived after six minutes of this final when he turned Paul Kelty’s 25-yard drive over his crossbar.
This narrow escape seemed to spur Rathnew on and Robert Doyle’s free-kick was only half cleared to the edge of the area where MIck McDonald was waiting. His rising shot was parried by United goalkeeper Brian Hersee into the path of the waiting Robert
Doyle who blasted home to the roof of the net for the only goal of a closely contested first half.
Chris Sillery came in for the injured Clifford Murphy (hamstring) at the break and Mark Doyle reverted back to centre half where the moment of major controversy would erupt early in the second half.
Doyle was reported to have handled two yards inside his area but referee Fran Martin awarded a free outside. A converted penalty at this stage may well have changed the complexion of this encounter but it was not to be.
Hollingsworth’s kick-out caught the Arklow United defence ball watching and Anthony Mernagh ghosted in off the left wing to head the second over the stranded Hersee.
Seven minutes from time, Chris Sillery grabbed the third and then Joe Ronan capped a fine team performance when he stroked home from two yards after Hersee had saved from Sillery.
Robert Hollingsworth, Eamon Franey, Jason Doyle, Clifford Murphy, Don Doyle, Robert Doyle, Barry Mernagh, Mick McDonald, Adrian Marah, Mark Doyle, Anthony Mernagh. Subs: Chris Sillery for Murphy (46), Joe Ronan for Marah (76), Anthony Doyle for B. Mernagh (86).
RATHNEW: ARKLOW UNITED:
Brian Hersee, Nathan Carr, Laurence Harte, Anthony O’Neill, George Murphy, Anthony Murphy, Alan Redmond, Tom O’Neill, David McBride, Paul Kelty, Mark O’Reilly. Subs: Austin Walker for A. O’Neill (67), Joe Shelton for Redmond (67), Sylvester Doyle for Harte (84).
REFEREE: LINESMEN:
Mullen
Fran Martin
Andy Kavanagh, Frank
BRENDAN LAWRENCE Premier Title
RATHNEW’S dominance of Wicklow soccer couldn’t have been any more pronounced in 1997 as they became the first team in WDFL history to claim a treble in successive seasons.
In 1996 they won the Premier League title, the Wicklow Cup and the Charlie Bishop Cup and here they were again in 1997 winning all three again, defeating Arklow United in both the Wicklow Cup and Charlie Bishop finals and drawing 2-2 with Arklow United in their last game of the Premier to lift the crown during a period of dominance that was showing very few signs of waning any time soon.
It was a Tuesday evening in Merrymeeting following their 2-2 draw with the Ferndale Park outfit when Tony Jameson’s side were presented with the League trophy by WDFL official Harry Griffth. They had unofficially clinched the crown the previous Sunday when they received a walk-over from Newtown (although that decision hadn’t been confirmed by the time the clash with United got underway.
‘Tuesday evening’s 2-2 draw with Arklow United merely confirmed their position,’ wrote Wicklow People reporter Conor Kane.
‘However, the result was important to them (Rathnew) as they still haven’t been beaten in this season’s league campaign, and want to complete their programme without a defeat.
‘Rathnew really have been dominant this season. From a position early in the New Year where they had only played a few games, having been involved in the FAI competitions, they then embarked on a run which saw them playing two games in a lot of weeks, and winning most of them.
‘A few unimpressive draws against the likes of Glenview and others suggested that the titleholders may have been vulnerable, but in the last couple of months they have been winning all around them.
‘The pivotal point of the season was on April 20 when St.
Patrick’s made the journey to Rathnew for a game that would have put them 14 points ahead of their opponents had they won, with five more matches played. However, they never produced anything like their best form and a first-half penalty by Anthony Mernagh was the only goal of the game.
‘That result put Rathnew firmly into the driving seat and they produced some very impressive performances in subsequent matches, beating Wicklow Rovers 4-0 away, as well as 1-0 and 4-0 wins over Arklow United in the Charlie Bishop and Wicklow Cup finals, respectively.
‘In all competitions, Rathnew have scored a remarkable 127 goals this season, and their only loss in the four domestic competitions they were involved in was in the quarter-final of the Noble Waste Premier Shield, against Arklow Town,’ he wrote.
There was a palpable party atmosphere in Merrymeeting on the Tuesday evening for the game against Arklow United that would confirm Rathnew as WDFL Premier League champions again.
Adrian Marah got them off the mark with a fine goal after good work from Chris Sillery in the 28th minute and 15 minutes later a long ball from defence found Anthony Mernagh clear at the other end and he chipped the goalkeeper for Rathnew’s second a day after he turned 21.
However, United didn’t just turn up to fulfil a fixture and they were back on level terms in the second half but Rathnew held on and secured the draw that confirmed them as league champions.
Rathnew boss Tony Jameson told the Wicklow People that he was proud of the effort his players had put in throughout the campaign.
‘Please God we can keep it going now for the Leinster Junior Cup next year, and retain what we have already got,’ he said.
‘I knew we had the players to do it again and it was just a matter of getting the commitment out of them, and I knew that could be done,’ he said.