‘Interesting’ final ends in stalemate at the Carlisle
ENNISKERRY YC LITTLE BRAY UNITED 0 0
ATROCIOUS weather conditions resulted in the Wicklow Cup final being postponed on Sunday, May 15. Numerous soccer games across the county fell victim of waterlogged pitches but it was heavy fog that left the Wicklow League officials looking frustrated in the pages of the Wicklow and Bray People newspapers the following Friday with the game pushed forward to Sunday, May 22.
Concerns were raised at the knock-on effects of the lost weekend with Little Bray still facing seven league games to play in the Premier as they went in search of back-to-back titles.
The following Sunday dawned cold but clear as both sides and their supporters numbering close to 400 according to the Wicklow and Bray People reports in the paper on Friday, May 27, descended on the Carlisle Grounds for what promised to be a decent game.
But there would be no separating the sides on this occasion as a 0-0 draw was played out and both sides probably thankful of getting another chance to claim the coveted the cup the following Thursday evening at the same venue.
The final was described as ‘interesting’ by reporter Mark Brophy and he said ‘it must be said that this was a very fair result as both sides had their chances to win it.
‘Little Bray should have been ahead at the interval, but Enniskerry were the better side after the resumption and could have snatched victory in the end. Despite the lack of goals there was no shortage of entertainment in the final.’
‘Playing with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half, the Darglesiders made all the early running. Young Enniskerry goalkeeper Karl Bradshaw did well to turn a blistering 30-yard free-kick from Kevin Farrell around the post in the fifth minute. He then made good stops from Shay Lowe and Chris ‘Kit’ O’Neill as Little Bray continued to do the bulk of the attacking.
‘Eddie McCann and Chris O’Neill were both off target in the latter stages of the half.
‘But with the wind at their backs in the second half, Enniskerry proved out of sight and began to create some good openings. Fran May should have done better after 48 minutes, latching on to a poor kick-out from Little Bray goalkeeper Ian Fowler only to shoot wildly over the bar.
‘Tony Martin then missed an even better opportunity in the 57th minute, his first touch letting him down when Vincent McGrath unhinged the defence with a lovely pass, Martin eventually screwing his shot over the crossbar.
‘Fowler then made a good stop from an Aidan Leonard free-kick in the 66th minute.
‘’Youth Club should have taken the lead in the 72nd minute, May once again skying his shot with the goal gaping.
‘With just 10 minutes remaining, Fowler kept Little Bray in the cup with a marvelous fingertip save from Vincent McGrath’s beautifully struck free-kick.
‘Chris O’Neill then had a chance to win it for the Bray men, heading wide from a Shay Lowe cross in the 82nd minute.
‘Both sides had their opportunities to win it in extra-time, Little Bray’s Billy Treacy blazing over in the first period when well-placed before Fowler produced his best save of the afternoon, somehow keeping out McGrath’s flying header after substitute Dominic Taheny had whipped in a dangerous right-wing cross.