Enniscorthy Hockey Club senior men 1st made an early morning trip to a foggy Kilcock in county Kildare where they took on North Kildare on Saturday. Enniscorthy men met North Kildare in the final of the Walters Cup in their last game of last season; once again the Wexford men came home on the wrong side of a one-nil defeat.
The Maws has not been a happy hunting ground for Enniscorthy's men; in their two previous visits to Kilcock the visiting team has been the victim of two defeats. This time around Donal Doyle's side travelled with a small squad of 12 as they were missing squad players Jonathon Rothwell, Edmundas Liuikimas, Jason Rothwell, Daithi Medcalf and Martyn Veitch.
From the onset this was a close encounter with both sides up for the challenge and wanting to take home the spoils. From previous encounters the visitors knew the challenge that lay ahead of them as both sides play a very similar game and are very strong in defence meaning this was not going to be a high scoring game as both teams are noted within Leinster as having to of the best defences. In such a tough encounter it was going to be a set piece that separated the two sides, with both sets of defences on top. Roy Chapman- carrying a hamstring injury- played a centre forward role with Liam Jowett and Niall Maguire on either wings for Enniscorthy, and their industry kept the North Kildare defence busy. Enniscorthy had a number of well-worked short corner chances but to no avail.
The second half saw with tensions boil over and both sides were temporarily down to ten men following an altercation involving a number of players. The game could have gone either way but with ten minutes to go Kildare broke the deadlock as they forced a short corner, where shot beat the on-rushing Enniscorthy runners and into the back of captain Graham Hill's goal. Enniscorthy pushed hard for the final ten minutes but were unable to penetrate a well-marshalled North Kildare defence.
Next up for Enniscorthy this Saturday is Wicklow in the first round of the Junior Cup.
Enniscorthy Squad: Graham Hill; Andrew Rothwell; Keith Ogilvie; Clive Rothwell;
Ivan Rothwell; David Simmons; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Glenn Chapman; Liam Jowett; Roy Chapman; Niall Maguire; William Durnan.
The Maws has not been a happy hunting ground for Enniscorthy's men; in their two previous visits to Kilcock the visiting team has been the victim of two defeats. This time around Donal Doyle's side travelled with a small squad of 12 as they were missing squad players Jonathon Rothwell, Edmundas Liuikimas, Jason Rothwell, Daithi Medcalf and Martyn Veitch.
From the onset this was a close encounter with both sides up for the challenge and wanting to take home the spoils. From previous encounters the visitors knew the challenge that lay ahead of them as both sides play a very similar game and are very strong in defence meaning this was not going to be a high scoring game as both teams are noted within Leinster as having to of the best defences. In such a tough encounter it was going to be a set piece that separated the two sides, with both sets of defences on top. Roy Chapman- carrying a hamstring injury- played a centre forward role with Liam Jowett and Niall Maguire on either wings for Enniscorthy, and their industry kept the North Kildare defence busy. Enniscorthy had a number of well-worked short corner chances but to no avail.
The second half saw with tensions boil over and both sides were temporarily down to ten men following an altercation involving a number of players. The game could have gone either way but with ten minutes to go Kildare broke the deadlock as they forced a short corner, where shot beat the on-rushing Enniscorthy runners and into the back of captain Graham Hill's goal. Enniscorthy pushed hard for the final ten minutes but were unable to penetrate a well-marshalled North Kildare defence.
Next up for Enniscorthy this Saturday is Wicklow in the first round of the Junior Cup.
Enniscorthy Squad: Graham Hill; Andrew Rothwell; Keith Ogilvie; Clive Rothwell;
Ivan Rothwell; David Simmons; Cathal Ó Suilleabháin; Glenn Chapman; Liam Jowett; Roy Chapman; Niall Maguire; William Durnan.
