Enniscorthy's men remain at the summit of Leinster division eight following a hard-fought victory over Bray II in the county Wicklow town on Saturday.
Following their resounding win over Dublin University IV the previous weekend, the Slaneysiders were prepared for a difficult challenge, and so it proved. Weather conditions proved tricky for both sides, but it was the hosts- though playing into a strong wind- who seemed to adapt best. Enniscorthy had to work hard to keep a lively Bray attack at bay, and Chapman, Clive Rothwell and Ó Suilleabháin were instrumental in stemming the opposition onslaught. After eight minutes, and against the run of play, Jason Rothwell found himself in possession inside the Bray semi-circle, and coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Following this setback Bray worked hard to grab an equaliser and proved adept at pressurising the visiting defence, Ó Suilleabháin finding it difficult to find a loose team mate on hit outs. Midfielder Jonathon Rothwell's replacement due to an ankle injury at an early stage lead to the introduction of the experienced Robbie Walshe to the attack, while Jason Rothwell dropped back to his familiar right wing slot. Gradually Enniscorthy were able to assert themselves and McAllister and Walshe began posing problems for the Bray defence, ably assisted by Chapman and Clive Rothwell pushing forward from central midfield. Still, Bray were able to force a number of short corners, which were well dealt with by Casey and his defence.
Fraser Rothwell's half- time team talk concentrated on his team keeping its shape and dictating the pace of the game. Bray would play with a strong wind at their backs and a vociferous home support to spur them on: a tough thirty- five minutes lay ahead. Enniscorthy, though, played confidently from the restart and the central midfield pairing of Chapman and Clive Rothwell were combining well with Jason Rothwell on the right. In a free- flowing game, Bray's skillful midfielders such as Adam Brennan and Stuart Collier then began to find space and force the visitors back inside their own half.
Jonathon Rothwell shrugged off his ankle injury to return to the action, replacing Walshe up front. His appearance unsettled the Bray defence, dedication matched by the hardworking Hawkins, who played on despite a suspected broken bone in his left hand. Enniscorthy's de- fence had an altogether busier second half but proved far quicker than in previous performances in clearing their lines. An occasional foray into the Bray half kept their opponent's defence on their toes but Enniscorthy were unable to create any meaningful goal-scoring chances. Three short corners in a row, though, greatly increased the host's nerves; the final of which saw Ó Suilleabháin receive the push out and work the ball to Jonathon Rothwell, who was able to squeeze the ball across the line to make it a 2-0 scoreline.
The early Jason Rothwell goal proved a blessing for Enniscorthy as Bray cranked up the pressure as the second half wore on, but the former's desire not to concede was evident. Ó Suilleabháin was particularly impressive marshalling the defence, and Nolan, Hawkins, An- drew Rothwell and Costello all made vital interventions. 'Keeper John Casey proved solid as he enjoyed his fourth clean sheet of the season and Enniscorthy deservedly returned down the N11 with all three points.
Squad: John Casey; Andrew Rothwell; P. J. Pierce; Greg Hawkins; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Jonathon Rothwell; Roy Chapman; Clive Rothwell; Kieran Costello; Jason Rothwell; Seamus McAllister; Robbie Walshe
Following their resounding win over Dublin University IV the previous weekend, the Slaneysiders were prepared for a difficult challenge, and so it proved. Weather conditions proved tricky for both sides, but it was the hosts- though playing into a strong wind- who seemed to adapt best. Enniscorthy had to work hard to keep a lively Bray attack at bay, and Chapman, Clive Rothwell and Ó Suilleabháin were instrumental in stemming the opposition onslaught. After eight minutes, and against the run of play, Jason Rothwell found himself in possession inside the Bray semi-circle, and coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Following this setback Bray worked hard to grab an equaliser and proved adept at pressurising the visiting defence, Ó Suilleabháin finding it difficult to find a loose team mate on hit outs. Midfielder Jonathon Rothwell's replacement due to an ankle injury at an early stage lead to the introduction of the experienced Robbie Walshe to the attack, while Jason Rothwell dropped back to his familiar right wing slot. Gradually Enniscorthy were able to assert themselves and McAllister and Walshe began posing problems for the Bray defence, ably assisted by Chapman and Clive Rothwell pushing forward from central midfield. Still, Bray were able to force a number of short corners, which were well dealt with by Casey and his defence.
Fraser Rothwell's half- time team talk concentrated on his team keeping its shape and dictating the pace of the game. Bray would play with a strong wind at their backs and a vociferous home support to spur them on: a tough thirty- five minutes lay ahead. Enniscorthy, though, played confidently from the restart and the central midfield pairing of Chapman and Clive Rothwell were combining well with Jason Rothwell on the right. In a free- flowing game, Bray's skillful midfielders such as Adam Brennan and Stuart Collier then began to find space and force the visitors back inside their own half.
Jonathon Rothwell shrugged off his ankle injury to return to the action, replacing Walshe up front. His appearance unsettled the Bray defence, dedication matched by the hardworking Hawkins, who played on despite a suspected broken bone in his left hand. Enniscorthy's de- fence had an altogether busier second half but proved far quicker than in previous performances in clearing their lines. An occasional foray into the Bray half kept their opponent's defence on their toes but Enniscorthy were unable to create any meaningful goal-scoring chances. Three short corners in a row, though, greatly increased the host's nerves; the final of which saw Ó Suilleabháin receive the push out and work the ball to Jonathon Rothwell, who was able to squeeze the ball across the line to make it a 2-0 scoreline.
The early Jason Rothwell goal proved a blessing for Enniscorthy as Bray cranked up the pressure as the second half wore on, but the former's desire not to concede was evident. Ó Suilleabháin was particularly impressive marshalling the defence, and Nolan, Hawkins, An- drew Rothwell and Costello all made vital interventions. 'Keeper John Casey proved solid as he enjoyed his fourth clean sheet of the season and Enniscorthy deservedly returned down the N11 with all three points.
Squad: John Casey; Andrew Rothwell; P. J. Pierce; Greg Hawkins; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Jonathon Rothwell; Roy Chapman; Clive Rothwell; Kieran Costello; Jason Rothwell; Seamus McAllister; Robbie Walshe
