Senior Men: Most Improved - Seamus McAllister
Moment of the Year - Clive Rothwell (Penalty flick against Corinthians in Leinster Minor Cup)
Player of the Year - Glenn Chapman
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Our men's team have done it! The division 8 league title is in the bag, and to celebrate, the IFA Centre in Enniscorthy hosted a night of celebration. Additionally, there were presentations to the team award winners, and manager Fraser Rothwell for a job well done. A book looking back over the year, produced by Andrew Rothwell and Kieran Costello, went on sale and copies are going fast! The award winners were as follows:
Senior Men: Most Improved - Seamus McAllister Moment of the Year - Clive Rothwell (Penalty flick against Corinthians in Leinster Minor Cup) Player of the Year - Glenn Chapman
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Two goals from Edmundas Luikimas and a single from Robbie Walshe secured victory for Enniscorthy Hockey Club and a historic first men's trophy as the Slaneysiders defeated YMCA V at Claremont Road on Saturday.
The Wexford men entered their last scheduled fixture of the season on the back of a disappointing 3-1 away defeat at the hands of North Kildare II a fortnight before and were bolstered by the return of Glenn Chapman, Cathal Ó Suilleabháin and Jason Rothwell. Enniscorthy lined out with a familiar back four of Costello, Andrew Rothwell, Clive Rothwell and Ó Suilleabháin, and together with Glenn and Roy Chapman operating in central midfield, the league newcomers possessed a solid platform from which to take on their hosts. YMCA opted to use the occasion to give debuts to a number of talented youngsters from their underage ranks, and this allowed Enniscorthy to take a solid hold of proceedings in the initial stages of the game. Some smart goalkeeping, though, kept the Wexford side at bay. After fifteen minutes, though, Enniscorthy took the lead, Robbie Walshe pressurising the home defence and profiting from the resulting panic to open the scoring. Instead of the floodgates opening, though, Enniscorthy relaxed, allowing the Dublin 4 side back into the game. A rapid series of switches left the visitors vulnerable, and Graham Hill and his defence found themselves under increasing pressure. Eventually the equaliser arrived, a sharply- hit shot squeezing past the onrushing Costello and Andrew Rothwell at YM's first short corner of the game. At this stage the game looked to be slipping away from Enniscorthy, and the half- time break was a welcome relief. From the restart Enniscorthy committed themselves with a renewed sense of purpose, and both YM matched the Wexford men, both sides threatening their opponents goal. Jason Rothwell was coming more into the game after a frustrating first half, and with Niall Maguire operating dangerously on the left, Enniscorthy looked the more likely to score. It was Liukimas, though, who grabbed the lead back for the league pace-setters, and fired home his third of the season shortly after. Both came from frantic goalmouth scrambles, the big Lithuanian using his physical presence to good effect. Enniscorthy ran out deserving 3-1 winners, and can now look forward to life in division seven when the new season begins in the autumn. Squad: Graham Hill; Andrew Rothwell; Clive Rothwell; Kieran Costello; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Jason Rothwell; Roy Chapman; Glenn Chapman; Jonathon Rothwell; Edmundas Liukimas; Niall Maguire; Robbie Walshe; John Casey; Rory Maguire; P. J. Pierce Enniscorthy's uncertain form at the tail end of the season continued as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat away to North Kildare II on Saturday at The Maws. The league leaders travelled without Cathal Ó Suilleabháin, Glenn Chapman, Jason Rothwell, Chris St. Clair- Johnson, Greg Hawkins and Niall Maguire, and once again the disadvantages of a thin squad were apparent. Fraser Rothwell was able to pick relatively strong midfield and forward units, but experience was somewhat lacking at the back.
From the push- back, the hosts were the stronger, and the pace of the North Kildare forwards was proving difficult for the Slaneysiders to contain. Forays into the opposition half were initiated by defender Clive Rothwell, who connected well with Roy Chapman and Jonathon Rothwell. Edmundas Liukimas returned to the fray but in an unfamiliar midfield role, alternating with Robbie Walshe up front, but both found it to be a frustrating afternoon. Having conceded a slew of short corners, Enniscorthy knew that their luck was unlikely to hold- though Graham Hill produced a spectacular save to deny the hosts- and the inevitable happened with just a minute to go before the break. A long, high ball into the visitor's 25- yard line eluded the onrushing Casey and Costello, and a ball swiftly moved across the into the semi- circle isolated Hill for an easy tap-in. On the restart the game returned to a familiar tempo, with the Enniscorthy defence creaking under the pressure, and the host's lead doubled after forty minutes. The Wexford men struggled to clear the ball from inside the semi- circle and in the ensuing scramble North Kildare goaled. The afternoon went from bad to worse when the Slaneysiders conceded a third in similar circumstances. Both attacks had begun on the right as the hosts took advantage of a tiring Andrew Rothwell on the wing. A personnel reshuffle was called for, and Ivan Rothwell came on to make his men's team debut, lining out in the embattled defence. Jonathon Rothwell and Andrew Rothwell swopped positions, and Clive Rothwell pushed forward to bolster midfield alongside Roy Chapman. With these changes Enniscorthy began to force their way into the game and Jonathon Rothwell was making life difficult for the hosts with a series of mazy, jinking runs. Like Liukimas, though, all too often his runs were ended as a cluster of home defenders bottled the Enniscorthy men up. Forward Rory Maguire offered the visitors some hope, bundling the ball into the net to make the score 3-1 with ten minutes to go. That was as good as it got, though, and mid- table North Kildare ended as deserving winners. Despite this poor overall display, there were some bright points for Enniscorthy: the return of Edmundas Liukimas, the attacking runs of Jonathon Rothwell, and the introduction of his brother Ivan, who put in a strong performance in his debut match. The squad will be hoping that performances for the remainder of the season improve. Squad: Graham Hill; John Casey; P. J. Pierce; Clive Rothwell; Kieran Costello; Andrew Rothwell; Edmundas Liukimas; Roy Chapman; Jonathon Rothwell; Robbie Walshe; Seamus McAllister; Rory Maguire; Ivan Rothwell. Enniscorthy made a welcome return to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Navan II at East Glendalough School in Wicklow Town on Saturday. This was listed as a "home" fixture for the Slaneysiders and one in which victory was required to keep their title aspirations on track.
Despite the 1-0 defeat against Railway Union, the 4-4-2 formation adapted by manager Fraser Rothwell had worked well, and this time Enniscorthy lined up from the start with four at the back and in midfield. A strong central partnership of Jonathon Rothwell, Clive Rothwell, Roy Chapman, and Jason Rothwell provided an excellent attacking platform for the home side, and Enniscorthy had Navan on the back foot from early on. While the Slaneysiders were dominating posession, they were unable to break down the Badger's defence. As the Enniscorthy effort slackened, the Meath men grew in confidence and were becoming increasingly threatening in their forays into their opponents semi-circle. Excellent defensive displays, though, from John Casey and Keith Ogilvie, kept Navan at bay, though Hill was called upon on occasion to make some vital saves. Andrew Rothwell at wing back was afforded the opportunity to work his way forward and won a short corner in each half; the relative ease with which the Wexford men could create these opportunities stood in marked contrast with their previous outing. Furthermore, Seamus McAllister and Robbie Walshe were becoming increasingly influential up front as the half progressed. Midfielder Jason Rothwell made it 1-0 to bring his personal tally for the season to seven, and Enniscorthy supporters would have expected their side to press on. Instead, the league leaders relaxed, and Navan were able to exploit confusion in the Enniscorthy defence to move the ball into the goalmouth along the endline; an easy tap-in for Sravan Hunmula leveled the game. Fraser Rothwell kept faith with 4-4-2 after the break, but his charges recognised that their opponents were being allowed too much time on the ball, and as a result were letting Navan take control of the game. Fortunately, a renewed concentration on their passing game turned the tables on the visitors in the second half. Impressive interplay between Chap- man, Jason Rothwell, and Clive Rothwell was increasing the danger for the Boynesiders, but the cutting edge was lacking up front; Rory Maguire and brother Niall both with chances to score. With ten minutes remaining Niall Maguire atoned for his earlier misses to restore Enniscorthy's lead- much to the relief of the home support. As the clock ticked down to the final minute, Navan were awarded a short corner and moved their entire team up to the edge of the Enniscorthy semicircle in search of an equaliser. After an unsuccessful first attempt, the push out was received by Shane Dooley, who was unable to steady himself and Enniscorthy held on to claim all three points. After a week in which their closest neighbours, Wicklow, claimed the men's division seven and women's division thirteen titles, the league leaders look increasingly likely to claim silverware of their own. Squad: Graham Hill; Rory Maguire; Niall McGuire; Robbie Walshe; Chris St. Clair- Johnson; Seamus McAllister; Jason Rothwell; Roy Chapman; Jonathon Rothwell; Andrew Rothwell; Kieran Costello; John Casey; Clive Rothwell; Keith Ogilvie. Enniscorthy's unbeaten run in the league came to a shuddering halt at Park Avenue on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Railway Union V.
The difficulties of having a small pool of talent from which to choose from were exposed as the league leaders were missing six players for this top of the table clash. As a result, it was an unfamiliar starting eleven for the Slaneysiders. Having won the toss, Enniscorthy elected to tip- off, but the hosts swiftly took control of the game. Two short corners in a row after just two minutes were a harbinger of what was to come, and Enniscorthy struggled to establish a foothold in the game. Two more short corners came at the eight minute mark and nerves were becoming frayed in the visiting camp. Four minutes later the inevitable happened, Railway breaching the Enniscorthy defence and Graham Hill's goal to make it one- nil. Enniscorthy looked rattled. Further pressure was brought to bear but the visiting defence were quickly improving and Enniscorthy began to force their way into the game following a torrid opening twenty minutes. As a result, play shifted in favour of the visitors but Enniscorthy were unable to put the host defence under serious pressure. At half- time Enniscorthy were able to look to the next half with optimism: Clive Rothwell, Jason Rothwell, and Roy Chapman were beginning to get on top of their opponents at midfield and John Casey and P.J. Pierce were settling well at the back. A confident restart by the Wexford men resulted in a short corner created by Rory Maguire after 39 minutes; the push out from Jonathon Rothwell reached Chapman, whose shot made it into the net but no goal was allowed as his strike had not hit the backboard. Still, Enniscorthy felt a point at least was in the offing, but they had to be careful as Railway could be dangerous on the break. With ten minutes remaining, the hosts gained a short corner but with a similar result to Enniscorthy's sole short corner of the match: Hill was beaten, but the shot had not hit the backboard, and so the scoreline remained 1-0. A new sense of urgency came over the visiting team, and the home defence were put under sustained pressure; Ó Suilleabháin had a gilt- edged chance to equalise with two minutes remaining when he was at the receiving end of a cross from the right, but was unable to convert. Railway, though, held out and condemned the league leaders to their first defeat. Enniscorthy meet Navan next Saturday and will hope to make amends for what was at times, a poor display. Manager Fraser Rothwell will doubtless be encouraging greater cohesion from his charges as the possibility of league victory looms ever closer. Squad: Graham Hill; Rory Maguire; Niall Maguire; Andrew Rothwell; Roy Chapman; Jason Rothwell; Jonathon Rothwell; Robbie Walshe; Clive Rothwell; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Seamus McAllister; John Casey; P. J. Pierce; Kieran Costello. Enniscorthy's men gained some measure of revenge for their narrow cup quarter final defeat at the hands of Sunday's opposition when putting Dublin's Pembroke Wanderers VI to the sword at the Astro Active Centre.
The loss of midfield playmaker Glenn Chapman to injury midweek forced manager Fraser Rothwell into a personnel reshuffle, with Costello moving to an unaccustomed left midfield slot, Jonathon Rothwell on the opposite side, and Roy Chapman occupying the centre in a 4-3-3 formation. The visitors made the brighter start, taking advantage of numerical superiority in the centre of the pitch. However, Pembroke lacked a cutting edge in the final third, Clive Rothwell and Keith Ogilvie responding well to Wanderer's attacking thrusts. A counterattacking game gradually developed, with both sides capable of causing each other concern, and it was Enniscorthy who fortuitously took the lead with an own goal in the midst of a goalmouth scramble. This seemed to settle the home side somewhat, who appeared nervous and unable to bring width to their game in their last home match of the season. A second followed shortly after, Jonathon Rothwell pushing a short corner out to Clive Rothwell, who swiftly passed it left to Roy Chapman. Working calmly in the teeth of the onrushing Pembroke runners, Chapman smashed the ball past the visiting 'keeper. Further pressure from Enniscorthy allowed Niall Maguire to strike his eighth of the season, to make the scoreline 3-0. A brief flurry of Pembroke pressure resulted in a brace of short corners, but the home defence stood firm. Fortune smiled on the hosts as Pembroke goaled, only for it to be disallowed. Costello then hobbled off through injury and quick thinking was required from the Enniscorthy sideline, Niall Maguire taking up his midfield position. The mood was upbeat in the Enniscorthy camp at half time, and indeed the home side began the second half in confident fashion. Gradually, though, the Dublin 4 team began to assert themselves, and home goalkeeper Graham Hill was forced into action on a number of occasions. Pembroke had an experienced spine to their side, featuring a number strong runners on the ball; disrupting their moves proved difficult and the Wexford men were giving their supporters plenty of nervous moments. In an attempt to shore up the defence, Enniscorthy switched to 4-4-2, O Suilleabháin and Rory Maguire initially acting as the danger men. This move proved an inspired one, and Andrew Rothwell, Clive Rothwell and Jason Rothwell worked hard to push forward, producing some impressive interplay with Ó Suilleabháin and Niall Maguire in particular. Battling performances were also evident from Jonathon Rothwell and McAllister. Still, the absence of the bustling Edmundas Liukimas- who had created serious difficulties for the Pembroke defence in the two sides first league meeting earlier in the season- was keenly felt. Despite this, the visitors continued to work hard for a foothold in the game, and Marcus Blake- college teammate of Enniscorthy's Andrew Rothwell- scored for Pembroke to make it 3-1. It was no more than Wanderers deserved, and the scoreline could have been quite different had luck been on their side- though the home defence and Hill were producing some fearsome displays. His counterpart in the Pembroke goal was also in good form. However, that was as good as it got for the visitors and Enniscorthy claimed all three points. The league debutants now hold an eight- point lead at the top of Leinster division eight, with a game in hand over their nearest challengers, Railway Union V. The green and yellows provide the next opposition and should prove a stiff test after coming form behind to draw at the Astro Active Centre in early December. Squad: Graham Hill; Andrew Rothwell; Keith Ogilvie; Clive Rothwell; Greg Hawkins; Jonathon Rothwell; Roy Chapman; Kieran Costello; Seamus McAllister; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Jason Rothwell; John Casey; Rory Maguire; Niall Maguire; Robbie Kavanagh. |
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