THE MAD HATTERS SOCCER PARTY!
Village slay Wicklow Town after epic tie
RATHNEW AFC C slayed Wicklow Town AFC A in the most heart-stopping and dramatic circumstances in their Wicklow Cup quarter-final clash on Sunday.
Six different goalkeepers were used as Wicklow Town came from behind only to lose out in a madcap penalty shoot-out that saw 16 spot kicks hit before a winner was eventually discovered.
Villagers’ Craig Butler, their fourth shot-stopper of the afternoon, saved two of Town’s eight penalties and having missed three chances to win it, Nigel Darragh finally decided the matter as he tucked home the winner.
Rathnew dropped a massive hint that they were game for a giant-killing in the 11th minute when John Sayer curled home a delicious free kick to hand them the advantage.
It could have been 0-2 in the 20th minute but Mark Doyle’s ambitious drive from the edge of the area crashed back off the crossbar.
What could and should have been a turning point occurred in the 53 rd minute. David O’Connor rose to head home Kevin Coady’s corner kick. Rathnew man Trevor Doyle – who’d only been in goals for three minutes – tore into referee Paul O’Brien for not awarding him a free kick and the referee’s reaction was to send him off.
Wicklow Town tried to press home their numerical advantage but they couldn’t find a way past the Rathnew defence, who got a head or a leg to anything that came into the vicinity of their penalty area.
Extra time proved to be no more efficient in separating the pair and so, a place in the last four of the Wicklow Cup was to be decided on penalties.
Four of the first five spot kicks were converted, but then only three of the next 11 found the net, with Nigel Darragh keeping his cool to score from the 16th and final penalty.
It was a memorable day for the Division 3 North title hopefuls and it started extremely well for them too; hitting the front after 11 minutes.
Town centre half Lenny Carton won the ball on the edge of the area but referee Paul O’Brien pulled it back for a push in the back on Trevor Doyle moments earlier.
Warren Crowley had his wall set up but it made little difference as John Sayer stepped up and curled around it superbly to find the top corner.
Stephen Kiernan thought he might’ve doubled that lead when he sent a dipping half volley goalwards from 20 yards but the effort whistled over.
Mark Doyle kept the pressure up on their hosts when he blasted one from distance and only the crossbar denied him from giving his side a two-goal cushion.
The visitors continued to press for a second and nearly found it on 26 minutes. Sayer delivered a free kick into the area and Mick O’Rourke rose but even at full stretch, he couldn’t get enough on it to divert it in.
Wicklow Town had 15 year old frontman Jordan Quinn in their starting line-up and he registered his side’s first meaningful shot of the tie when his rasping drive had to be pushed behind by James Hunter.
From the corner kick that followed, Town thought they’d drew level. Hunter missed the cross, Quinn got his head to it and it appeared to be looping in until Mark Doyle took it off the line and his side survived.
There was another hearts in the mouth moment for the visitors two minutes before the interval. Mikey Dunne whipped in a free kick from the right flank, it was flicked on and it fell to Quinn at the back post. He fell in his rushed efforts to finish the chance but the danger wasn’t over yet, Brendan Cosgrove smashed it off the crossbar before Hunter gathered to allow his side to breathe easy.
Town’s Bobby Browne was pushed forward at the break and the move almost bore fruition within 11 seconds of the second period. Mikey Dunne sent him free through the middle but Browne dragged his effort wide of the far post.
Hunter was withdrawn three minutes later, with Trevor Doyle donning the gloves in his place and his afternoon took a drastic turn for the worse when he was dismissed for his protests following David O’Connor’s leveller.
Ronan Coffey was next to go between the sticks for Rathnew and he feared he’d been beaten as O’Connor’s 68th minute throw-in was glanced on before finishing inches wide of his goalframe.
Coffey was then withdrawn from the goals, switching roles with striker Craig Butler and Butler should have been beaten in the 87th minute. Mark Johnson delivered the right wing flag kick on this occasion, O’Connor again met in unchallenged but this time he could not find the finish as he headed over from six yards.
Neither side seemed capable of mounting any attacks in the remainder of normal time or extra time and therefore we were treated to penalties.
By the end of the provisional five penalties apiece; Lenny Carton and Kevin Coady were successful from 12 yards, as were John Sayer and Coffey for the Shamrock Park club.
Kiernan was denied the winner by O’Connor – who entered the goals a minute before the end of extra time.
Butler then had the chance to become the hero but a very strong hand from O’Connor ended those hopes.
Jordan Graham was the man behind Rathnew’s third chance to kill off Wicklow Town but he steered his effort wide.
But after Tony Doyle missed Town’s eighth effort, Nigel Darragh finally delivered the killer blow to send his side into raptures but, more importantly, into the last four of the Wicklow Cup. Top Form: Mick O’Rourke (Rathnew AFC): Could have been anyone on the Rathnew team but he shades it. A monster.