WICKLOW ROVERS
The recent bad run of results that our Leinster Senior side have found themselves in continued at the weekend when they narrowly went down 2-1 away to fourth placed Fairview YC.
The lads were slowly into their stride but after fifteen minutes they got a foothold in the game making all the running up to the break without creating anything in the way of a clear cut chance.
Unfortunately the lads were hit on the break just before half-time when Fairview went one up.
The second period was more of the same with the lads dictating the play, lady luck was definitely not on Rovers side as they rattled the woodwork on three occasions.
With fifteen minutes left on the clock the lads thought their luck was changing when they were awarded a penalty which Adam Cox duly dispatched to the net to level matters.
But their luck didn’t last long as the home side scored an undeserved winner deep into injury time.
This defeat sees them without a win in their last five games but in truth they haven’t had the rub of the green in a number of those games.
Saturday saw them lose out to a strike deep into injury time when a draw looked on the cards.
Their performances in these games deserve better but at the moment things are just not going their way.
Even though the lads find themselves rooted to the bottom of the league they have games in hand on all the teams above them so a run of positive results could see them climb the table and even make a surge for one of the promotion spots.
Our Wicklow League side faced a mammoth task when they took on Wicklow Cup holders Glencormac United in their own backyard in the first round of the Wicklow Cup.
Cup scalps don’t come any bigger than the holders and what a scalp this was for this very young Rovers side as they defeated Glencormac 2-1 in a tough encounter.
In a first half controlled by Rovers they went in at the break 1-0 up through a calmly taken goal from Luca Rampersaud.
The lads were unlucky not to go in at the break two goals to the good as a combination of Jamie Power and Luca Rampersaud struck the woodwork.
The holders came out all guns blazing in the second half and drew level, this seemed to spur Rovers on and they retook the lead when Rampersaud and Jack Kelly combined to set up Stephen Finlay who coolly dispatched the ball to the net for what proved to be the winner.
Riain Sweetman went close to adding a third as Rovers searched for the insurance goal.
The Rovers defence remained solid throughout and when they were breached Ian Murphy was on hand to pull off an excellent save to ensure Rovers progressed to the next round.
As cup scalps go, they don’t come any bigger than the holders and this is a result that should fill this very young team with confidence going forward as they compete at the top grade of Wicklow football.