Arklow United 4
Newtown United 2
Arklow Credit Union Park
Eoin Horkan
Connolly’s Dead-Ball Masterclass Guides Arklow to Victory in Six-Goal Thriller
Two superb Shane Connolly free kicks ultimately proved the difference under the lights on Friday night as Arklow United edged out Newtown in a pulsating six-goal encounter that had the crowd on their feet from first whistle to last.
The game was barely sixty seconds old when the visitors stunned the home support with the ideal start. A Newtown free kick forced Dean Flood Hayes into an excellent stop, but the rebound dropped kindly to the ever-alert Dylan Fitzsimons. He slipped the ball into the path of Mark, who had the simplest of tap-ins to hand Newtown an early and unexpected advantage.
To their credit, Arklow reacted well to the shock setback. Over the next ten minutes they settled into rhythm and carved out a trio of chances, all falling to the lively Zach Kilbride. On three separate occasions he forced Darren Callopy into action, the Newtown keeper standing tall to preserve his side’s slender lead.
But the pressure eventually told. Just before the quarter-hour mark, an inviting cross from the right found Aidan Cox bursting into the box. His controlled header nestled into the bottom corner, restoring parity and igniting the contest.
Yet almost as soon as Arklow were back in the game, they found themselves behind again — and in bizarre fashion. Five minutes after the equaliser, Fitzsimons attempted an audacious overhead kick inside the box. The effort appeared to lack direction, but a wicked deflection wrong-footed Flood Hayes and spun into the net, leaving both sets of supporters momentarily stunned. Against the run of play, Newtown had reclaimed the lead.
As the half hour approached, Newtown pushed to extend their advantage. Sean Gregory unleashed a powerful effort from distance, but Flood Hayes produced another sharp save to keep the deficit at one.
That proved a turning point, for Arklow soon wrestled back control. On 34 minutes, the home side were awarded a free kick in prime range. Up stepped Shane Connolly, who unleashed a sensational strike that arrowed into the top corner. Callopy could only watch as the ball flew past him — a goal worthy of levelling any match.
From there, Arklow surged forward with renewed confidence. Kilbride, tormenting defenders with his pace down the wings, finally got the better of the keeper in the closing minutes of the half. After latching onto a long ball, he evaded a challenge and calmly slid the ball home to put Arklow ahead for the first time on the night.
But the half had one final moment of brilliance to offer, and again it came from Connolly. Deep into stoppage time, Arklow earned another free kick in a near-identical position. Lightning struck twice as Connolly struck another inch-perfect effort into the top corner. The crowd could scarcely believe it; two unstoppable free kicks, two moments of pure quality, and Arklow headed down the tunnel with a commanding 4–2 lead.
With a two-goal cushion, Arklow pushed forward again early in the second half. Jason Rowlands was the first to threaten, only to be denied by a brilliant double save from Callopy, who was doing everything in his power to keep Newtown in the contest.
Kilbride remained a constant menace on the flanks, his pace repeatedly stretching the Newtown defence. Midway through the half, he created another opportunity for himself but dragged his shot narrowly wide of the near post.
Both managers began turning to their benches as the match entered its final 20 minutes. One of Arklow’s substitutes, Matthew Dempsey, made an almost immediate impact. After a slick passage of build-up play, he found space inside the box but steered his effort wide of the upright.
Dempsey continued to look dangerous, carving out two more chances in quick succession. First, he broke through the defence but fired just past the far post; moments later, he forced Callopy into yet another important save.
Despite the flurry of opportunities, the second half seemed destined to finish without a goal. That was until Aaron Parle burst through the middle in the dying minutes. His lofted effort beat the onrushing keeper but crashed off the crossbar, bouncing down and away to safety — a dramatic end to a breathless contest.
Arklow United:Dean Flood Hayes,Shane Connolly,Conor Blaney,Sean Harte,David O’Neill,Oisin Keegan,Zach Kilbride,Mark Nolan,Jason Rowlands,Graham Watts,Aidan Cox.
Subs Used:Matthew Dempsey for Aidan Cox,Fysal Muse for Graham Watts, Aaron Parle for Mark Nolan
Newtown United:Darren Collopy,James Synott,Stuart Synott,Cian Walsh,Niall Stack,Sean Heffernan,Craig Bailey,Aaron Killick,Dylan Fitzsimons,Mark Fitzsimons,Sean Gregory.
Subs Used;Danny Testa for Stuart Synott,Dillon Carthy for Sean Gregory,Oisin Greenan for Niall Stack, Terry Murphy for Dillon Carthy.
Referee:Michael Kennedy
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