Rathnew lay down marker
Scoring burst does the trick
RATHNEW ST KEVIN’S 3-12 1-5
A Rathnew scoring burst midway through the second half which yielded three goals and a point in four minutes was ultimately the difference in a hard-fought contest against St. Kevin’s in Roundwood last Saturday evening.
It was Rathnew who opened the scoring when Senior star JT Moorehouse provided the assist for Dylan Smyth to split the posts. Ciaran Coffey with a free doubled the lead after two minutes. Kevin’s full-forward Brian Manning opened their account soon after with a superb score on the turn.
Kevin’s got on top around this time, but some dreadful shooting and a smart penalty save by keeper Paddy Reynolds kept them in arrears.
Rathnew on the other hand were more economical with their chances and further points by Smyth (2) and full-forward Sean Coffey stretched their lead. Liam Miley did point a free before the break for Kevin’s to close the gap to three.
The west Wicklow outfit got the opening score of the second period when wing back Rob Houlihan went on a swashbuckling run upfield before drilling over. Rathnew responded with three points on the trot with another Smyth point been the pick of them after a 40-yard pass from Ciaran Coffey.
Miley pointed another free to leave a gap at four and but for more erratic shooting they would have been closer. It was here that Rathnew had their scoring burst. Michael Anthony Doyle gathered possession 35 yards out and his speculative shot for a point caught the keeper by surprise and nestled in the net.
Rathnew, sensing blood, went for the jugular, with Ciaran Coffey galloping through a wide gap in the Kevin’s defence before thundering a goal past the exposed David Richardson in the nets.
Kevin’s were well and truly rattled. Rathnew wing forward Sam O’Dowd launched a ball in around the square where big full-forward Sean Coffey cleverly palmed down into Smyth’s path and the corner-forward slotted casually past Richardson who had no chance.
With Moorehouse, Tristan O’Toole and Fionn O’Sullivan driving the Village on from halfback, Kevin’s were never going to get back. Indeed, Moorehouse clipped a lovely score from distance to extend the lead.
Kevin’s did battle gamely and got a deserved goal when Rob Kelly ploughed an effort through a gaggle of bodies. Houlihan added his second from wing back before going off with a nasty injury.
The Village side closed the scoring with the final three scores, O’Toole with the pick of them after Moorehouse had set him into space.
A closer game than the score line suggests, St. Kevin’s will rue that they shot 16 wides over the course of an hour and through over playing possession and dropping shots short squandered countless other chances. Best for them was Liam Miley and Rob Houlihan who was exceptional in defence and attack.
For Rathnew, the Coffeys, Moorehouse and full-back Luke Corcoran were superb. However, man of match was Dylan Smyth who oozed class.
Scorers - Rathnew: Dylan Smyth 1-4, Michael Anthony Doyle 1-1, Ciaran Coffey 1-1, Sean Coffey 0-3, JT Moorehouse 0-1, Tristan O’Toole 0-1, Jensen O’Connor 0-1
St. Kevin’s: Rob Kelly 1-0, Rob Houlihan 0-2, Liam Miley 0-2, Brian Manning 0-1