Rovers return to league summit after big victory
WICKLOW ROVERS PORTLAOISE AFC 5 1
WICKLOW Rovers’ Leinster Senior League side went into their home game with Portlaoise AFC on Saturday seeking all three points which would see them leapfrog Ayrfield United at the top of the league.
Rovers dictated the early proceedings pushing the away side back to the edge of their penalty area.
On nine minutes, Gareth Murphy was denied by an excellent save from the Portlaoise keeper getting down low to turn away for a corner.
The resulting corner was then cleared by the away defence. Two minutes later Ian Brannigan fired a half volley goalwards but his effort drifted the wrong side of the upright.
Rovers continued to press without threatening the keeper.
Finally on 26 minutes the home team made their pressure tell to finally break the deadlock, Gareth Murphy latched onto a back pass to coolly slot past the advancing keeper to give Rovers a deserved lead.
On 35 minutes Rovers doubled their lead, Tommy Smullen and Adam Cox played a one two which ended with Smullen chipping the keeper for a superb finish to make it 2-0.
Two minutes later it was game over and the three points were more or less secured when Adam Cox fired home.
A minute before the break Gareth Murphy attacked the centre of the away defence and finished neatly for his second of the game to send Rovers in at the break leading 4-0.
Five minutes into the second period right full back Jim Foley made a surging run into the Portlaoise area before firing a left footed strike into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Rovers then seemed to take their foot off the pedal even though they still enjoyed the majority of possession.
Ten minutes from time Gareth Murphy made a powerful run down the right, then sending in a fierce cross which the keeper parried into the path of Luke Byrne who tapped home only for it to be harshly ruled out for offside.
Rossa Marron in the Rovers goal won’t have a quieter afternoon this season and that was mainly down to a defence of Jim Foley, Ian Brannigan, Rikki Quinn and David Rowan who were rock solid all game and limited Portlaoise to zero chances for ninety minutes.
It was only in injury time that the away side got the space to test Marron between the posts.
Marron pulled off a fantastic save in the first minute of added time but the away side did nab a consolation goal deep into injury time from the penalty spot.
Rovers ran out deserved 5-1 winners which sees them go back to the top of the league with the whole team putting in a clinical performance on the day.
With four games left the destiny of the title is still in their own hands so it’s very much all to play for.