WDSL Senior Rathnew vs Wicklow Town

 Rathnew AFC 2  Bill Moorehouse 42, John Lester 85 Pen 

Wicklow Town 2 Shane Keenan (16,28)

Shamrock Park

Eoin Horkan 

Thrilling Draw as Late Penalty Earns Village Deserved Point

Supporters were treated to a full-blooded contest on Friday night as Rathnew and Wicklow Town played out a dramatic 2-2 draw that had everything—goals, crunching tackles, controversy, and a late twist that ensured the points were shared. While both sides will argue they could have taken all three, the general consensus among the sizable attendance was that a draw was a fair result.

From the first whistle it was clear neither team had turned up to sit back, with both attacks immediately on the front foot. Within minutes Wicklow launched their first attack, only to be met with solid resistance from the Rathnew back line. Almost immediately after, the home side carved out a golden opportunity when Adam Byrne broke through one-on-one with the keeper. However, his low effort lacked conviction and was comfortably gathered by the Wicklow shot-stopper.

The tone was already set: high intensity, fierce tackling, and end-to-end football. The next major moment came when Rathnew won a free kick in a dangerous position. Veteran defender John Lester delivered his trademark looping ball into the box, but his headered effort soared narrowly over the bar to the disappointment of the home faithful.

Despite their energetic start, Rathnew began to lose their grip on midfield, with the home sides Gary Byrne  and Eoin Doyle asserting control. Just after the quarter-hour mark, and somewhat against the run of play, Wicklow mounted a swift attack that nearly paid off. Dean Noble unleashed a speculative long-range effort which deflected wickedly, forcing a fine reflex save from the Rathnew keeper. From the resulting corner, Wicklow threatened again, but the defence held firm—though only temporarily.

Moments later, disaster struck for the home side. A defensive mix-up inside the box allowed Shane Keenan to stab the ball home from close range, giving Town the lead. The tie was nearly leveled shortly afterwards when Jordan Graham met a cross with a brilliant diving header, only to see it loop agonisingly over the crossbar.

The visitors now had all the momentum, particularly down the flanks where their pace was causing havoc. Just before the half-hour mark, the lively Mikey Merrigan surged down the right wing, beating his man before flashing the ball across goal. Once again, it was Keenan who arrived on cue to guide it coolly into the net for his second of the night.

With both attacks relentless, chances continued to flow. Keenan came close to a hat-trick when another deflected effort forced a fingertip save, while at the other end Adam Byrne again found himself through on goal in a near carbon copy of his earlier chance, only to be denied once more by the alert Wicklow keeper.

The final five minutes of the half descended into pure chaos as Town threatened twice more on the counter, only to be thwarted by a heroic last-ditch defending from Rathnew. Just as it looked like the tie was slipping from their grasp, the Village struck back. A Graham pass was fed into the path of Bill Moorehouse, who, from distance, unleashed a stunning strike that nestled into the bottom corner. It was a goal out of nowhere, and it breathed new life into the home side as the whistle blew for half-time.

The second half was a far cagier affair. With both defences tightening up, clear-cut chances became scarce. Special mention must go to Craig Joseph, who was immense at the back for Wicklow  throughout the evening. Whether it was familiarity with his former teammates or simply a performance for the ages, the centre-half was unbreakable.

As the tackles continued to fly in, the referee was increasingly busy, repeatedly reaching for his pocket to try and maintain order. Wicklow carved out the first notable chance of the half, only for it to be well closed down and cleared. One heavy challenge led to a dangerous dead-ball opportunity for Town, but the home side dealt with it convincingly.

With twenty minutes to play, came one of the night’s most dramatic moments. A miscontrolled touch by a Town defender led to an indirect free-kick inside the box—an increasingly rare sight in the modern game. Up stepped Eddie Doyle, who thundered a rocket towards goal, but the wall did its job and the effort was bravely blocked.

Town looked destined to hold on for all three points as the clock ticked into the final minutes. However, football is never that simple. A Wicklow free-kick was half-cleared but in the ensuing scramble, the referee pointed to the spot for a push in the back. Up stepped seasoned campaigner John Lester, who showed nerves of steel to rifle the penalty into the corner, sparking jubilation among the home supporters.

 

Rathnew AFC:Dylan Keogh,Ethan Snell,Eddie Doyle,Sam Healy,John Lester,Eoin Doyle,Jack Healy,Gary Byrne ,Jordan Graham,Adam Byrne,Bill Moorehouse.

Subs Used Jason. Devlin for Jack Healy, Ross Quin for Jordan Graham

Wicklow Town:Ian Murphy,Chris French,Ian Brannigan,Karl Earls,Craig Joseph,Jack Crowley,Mikey Merrigan,Dean Noble,Shane Keenan,Adam Cox,Luke Messit.

Subs Used:Adam Cuddihy for Adam Cox.