Rovers win cracker
Arklow Town are edged out in a seven-goal thriller
ARKLOW TOWN 3 WICKLOW ROVERS (B) 4
ARKLOW Town hosted Wicklow Rovers B in what turned out to be an early game of the season contender with a competitive seven-goal thriller at Bridgewater Centre Park last Saturday afternoon.
The away side got off to a perfect start straight from kick off with their first attack.
Wicklow Rovers striker Jaafar Ali produced a wonderful through ball down the left wing to Nicky Kearney who went on a solo run before hitting a low strike to beat Arklow keeper Dylan Byrne to his far post.
The home side were struggling to get into the game in the opening ten minutes and were finding it hard to maintain possession after winning the ball back.
But despite their shaky start winger Luke Cummings almost got onto the score sheet in the sixth minute when he fired a long-range effort from outside the box, but Rovers goalkeeper Pat Sammon pulled off a great save to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
Cummings quickly grabbed the ball to take the corner, the winger curled the ball towards the back post but Sammon couldn’t get a hand to the ball and resulted in the ball flying into the back of the net to make it 1-1 with only six minutes gone in the game.
Arklow Town were awarded a free-kick just outside the box going into the 10th minute with Danny Bradshaw set to take.
Bradshaw hit a powerful strike that looked to be flying into the top corner but Sammon pulled off another great save to keep the score level at 1-1.
The away side grabbed a goal to go ahead in the 21st minute after some great combination play from Nicky Kearney and Nathan Wynne.
Kearney went on another great run down that left-hand side before squaring the ball to Wynne who took the shot first time and slotted past Byrne to put them back into the lead.
The best goal of the game came just on the 45th minute and meant both sides went in at half time with the score level and all to play for in the second half.
Striker Chris Furlong took the ball down on his chest from a goal kick and before the Rovers midfield could come and challenge him he took a shot from 30 yards out that caught Sammon by surprise and blasted the back of the net.
Superb confidence from Furlong to take a shot on from that far out, an early contender for goal of the season.
The home side started the second half much better than the first, Town got the ball down and were putting some great passages of play together but Rovers remained strong at the back to keep the game level.
Wicklow Rovers striker Nathan Wynne should have gotten his second of the game in the 62nd minute after a mistake from the Arklow defence resulted in Wynne going one on one with Town keeper Dylan Byrne.
Wynne waited until Byrne committed himself and came off his line to get his shot off but Byrne got down well to save but only managed to parry the ball back out to Wynne who took the rebound first time, only to see his shot saved again by Byrne.
Two great saves from the Arklow man to keep the game level again, much to the gratitude of his defence.
Moments later Wynne managed to grab his second of the game when he saw Byrne had stepped off his line and lobbed the Arklow Town number 1 from outside the box.
A great bit of skill from the Wicklow Rovers striker to put his side back in front on the 64th minute.
It wasn’t long before Wynne wrapped up his hat-trick.
The striker had played well all game chasing down every ball and causing a headache for the Arklow defence throughout the game.
The striker reacted quickest after an un-cleared ball from a Rovers corner fell to the striker to slot home his third of the game and gave his side a two goal cushion at 4-2 with only five minutes remaining.
The home side grabbed a late goal in the 87th minute when Luke Cummings won the ball on the halfway line and went on a superb solo run to go through one on one with Sammon before stroking the ball under the goalkeeper to make it 4-3 with only a couple of minutes left.
A great three points away from home for Wicklow Rovers who fought bravely against a tough Arklow Town side that could claim that they were unlucky not to go away with at least a point after a great second half but unfortunately for them they just ran out of time at the end.