Rathnew a class apart in Wicklow in 1998
Wicklow Cup 1998
THEIR first-round battle with Enniskerry YC where they needed a replay to get the job done was the toughest battle Rathnew would have to face as they set about defending their Wicklow Cup title in 1998.
Trevor Doyle would be the man to score in the drawn game and he would pop up on the scoresheet in the replay as well where he would be joined by Shay Cullen, Chris ‘Nipper’ Sillery and Sean O’Brien.
A breeze past St. Patrick’s followed (6-0) where a hat-trick from Trevor Doyle was added to by singles from Barry Mernagh, Sillery and Shay Cullen and things got even better in the third round when they fired eight past Conary United, two from Trevor Doyle and singles from Mick McDonald, Shay Cullen, Eamon Franey, Casey O’Brien as well as an own goal.
Their quarter-final was something of a battle with Arklow Town asking questions of the defending champions but eventually going down 2-1 to the juggernaut thanks to goals from Sean O’Brien and Anthony Doyle.
And so, it was on to the semi-final where Newtown United A awaited them in Lamberton and where the weather would attempt to thwart their passage through to the final.
With just over 10 minutes to go and with Rathnew leading by 3-1, referee Patsy Byrne was left with no option but to call a halt to the play due to a massive burst of rain that flooded the pitch with surface water.
After a delay of 20 minutes, Byrne decided it was unplayable but match officials then decided that the game would continue but down on the bottom pitch.
At this stage Newtown were still pressing hard with Rathnew attacking on the break and a Magpies goal would have thrown the cat among the pigeons but a long kick-out from Robert Hollingsworth sent Sean O’Brien free and he rounded Newtown goalkeeper Tommy Reddington to squeeze the ball home from a tight angle and kill the game as a contest.
Newtown had taken the lead in this game through Michael McMahon who was picked out by a sweet David Elliot ball.
But the Magpies had sat back on that slender lead and were punished when Robert Doyle walloped home after Reddington had saved Anthony Mernagh’s shot seconds before.
Trevor Doyle fired home from the penalty spot after Shay Cullen had been felled and a Don Doyle header from a corner put the Village up 3-1 just before the heavens opened.
Towns route to the Carlisle Grounds featured many similarities with Rathnew’s. They also needed one replay and they also racked up one or two significant victories on the way.
Their first-round fixture was a cruise that saw them sail past Gorey Celtic B 6-0 with Shane Jameson bagging four and David Scully and John O’Loughlin chipping in with singles.
A tense battle with the club’s second team followed where goals from Ronan Lally, David Scully and John O’Loughlin saw them through on a score of 3-1.
That dogged Aughrim Rangers outfit caused them major headaches in the quarter-final but they survived the first day (1-1) and came away with a 3-2 extra-time victory in the replay thanks to goals from David Scully (2) and Andy Jameson.
Town would book their place in the Wicklow Cup final for the first time since 1970 when they dismantled Division 4 side Clone Rangers in their semi-final, eventually winning by 3-0, and setting up that mouth-watering derby with Rathnew.
Clone had accounted for teams from almost every strata of adult soccer in Wicklow ahead of their semi-final with the Finlay Park outfit but they were to find Delaney’s men too hot to handle on the day with Mark Coffey proving to be the major difference between the sides.
Town opened their account after 19 minutes when David Scully rode a tackle, fed former schoolboy international Andy Jameson who beat a defender but watched as Clone keeper Larry Noctor turned his effort on to the post. The ball rebounded into the path of the waiting James Snell and he made no mistake.
Seven minutes before the break, Snell turned provider when his corner kick was met by midfielder Mick Sillery who headed home a rocket to the roof of the net.
If Clone weren’t already under pressure at that stage, the fact that they lost the services of Michael Kavanagh and Kenneth Price at half-time made things even worse. The pair had to rush to St. Patrick’s Park in Enniscorthy to play in the county under-21 Premier final for Castletown (they won).
Mark Coffey would grab Town’s third late on and the dream final was secured.