Enniscorthy's first-choice men's eleven picked up their first win of 2016 with a 2-0 derby success over Wicklow at a bitterly cold Astro Active Centre on Centre on Saturday.
The home side entered the encounter fresh from an encouraging 2-2 midweek draw against Dublin side Avoca, and their first-half display showed that they had picked up from where they had left off. The Wexford men dominated proceedings from the whistle, Liam Jowett finding plenty of room to manoeuvre down the right side of midfield. Glenn Chapman had his side's first opportunity on goal after only 5 minutes, receiving a long corner ball from Clive Rothwell, but his deflected shot went wide. Four minuts later Enniscorthy cranked up the pressure, winning two short corners in rapid succession, but were unable to capitalise on the opportunities.
Wicklow slowly began to find their feet after a strong opening first fifteen minutes for the Donal Doyle- coached side, with Nuzum and O'Sullivan proving to be tricky customers for the home defence. However, Enniscorthy began to find their groove again and just past the twenty- minute mark Glen Chapman opened the scoring, a ferocious shot from the outer reaches of the right-hand side of the semi circle finding its way into the bottom left corner and leaving the Wicklow goalkeeper with no chance.
Just two minutes later O'Sullivan had the opportunity to level matters but Graham Hill produced a spectacular save- his first of several - to keep the one goal advantage. In fact, Roy Chapman was able to make it 2-0 just over five minutes later and on the verge of half time as he got the faintest of touches on the ball-though Edmundas Luikimas may also have had a claim, hovering near the post- following a speculative shot into the semi-circle by Daithí Medcalf.
On the restart Wicklow emerged a totally different team, and with less than five minutes on the clock had won a short corner, shot wide, and forced a fine save from Hill in the Enniscorthy goal. A protracted siege of the Wexford men's goal then ensued, with Wicklow winning two more long corners and two short corners, but Wicklow were unable to find a way past the Enniscorthy defence. Clive Rothwell secured a brief respite for the home side with almost fifteen minutes gone, a huge aerial ball finding Niall Maguire on the left side of midfield. Quickly scanning, he was able to locate Liam Jowett with a pinpoint ball over on the right, but this promising move was snuffed out by Wicklow inside their semi-circle.
By the twentieth minute of the second half the Wicklow dominance had faded, though the visitors were still highly dangerous, Martyn Veitch working well to negate an O'Sullivan attack, while Hill had to be called into action to deflect a cross wide when Nuzum was free at the back post, and Ivan Rothwell had to be alert when clearing the ball off the line following a Nuzum shot.
Wicklow increased the pressure inside the last five minutes in search of a foothold in the game, and tensions were running high across the pitch; the Enniscorthy defence successfully withstood two more short corners as well as a long corner to finally emerge deserved winners.
Squad: Graham Hill; Keith Ogilvie; Clive Rothwell; Martyn Veitch; Ivan Rothwell; Daithí Medcalf; Glen Chapman; David Simmons; Edmundas Luikimas; Jason Rothwell; Liam Jowett; John McWey; Roy Chapman; Niall Maguire; Jonathon Rothwell
The home side entered the encounter fresh from an encouraging 2-2 midweek draw against Dublin side Avoca, and their first-half display showed that they had picked up from where they had left off. The Wexford men dominated proceedings from the whistle, Liam Jowett finding plenty of room to manoeuvre down the right side of midfield. Glenn Chapman had his side's first opportunity on goal after only 5 minutes, receiving a long corner ball from Clive Rothwell, but his deflected shot went wide. Four minuts later Enniscorthy cranked up the pressure, winning two short corners in rapid succession, but were unable to capitalise on the opportunities.
Wicklow slowly began to find their feet after a strong opening first fifteen minutes for the Donal Doyle- coached side, with Nuzum and O'Sullivan proving to be tricky customers for the home defence. However, Enniscorthy began to find their groove again and just past the twenty- minute mark Glen Chapman opened the scoring, a ferocious shot from the outer reaches of the right-hand side of the semi circle finding its way into the bottom left corner and leaving the Wicklow goalkeeper with no chance.
Just two minutes later O'Sullivan had the opportunity to level matters but Graham Hill produced a spectacular save- his first of several - to keep the one goal advantage. In fact, Roy Chapman was able to make it 2-0 just over five minutes later and on the verge of half time as he got the faintest of touches on the ball-though Edmundas Luikimas may also have had a claim, hovering near the post- following a speculative shot into the semi-circle by Daithí Medcalf.
On the restart Wicklow emerged a totally different team, and with less than five minutes on the clock had won a short corner, shot wide, and forced a fine save from Hill in the Enniscorthy goal. A protracted siege of the Wexford men's goal then ensued, with Wicklow winning two more long corners and two short corners, but Wicklow were unable to find a way past the Enniscorthy defence. Clive Rothwell secured a brief respite for the home side with almost fifteen minutes gone, a huge aerial ball finding Niall Maguire on the left side of midfield. Quickly scanning, he was able to locate Liam Jowett with a pinpoint ball over on the right, but this promising move was snuffed out by Wicklow inside their semi-circle.
By the twentieth minute of the second half the Wicklow dominance had faded, though the visitors were still highly dangerous, Martyn Veitch working well to negate an O'Sullivan attack, while Hill had to be called into action to deflect a cross wide when Nuzum was free at the back post, and Ivan Rothwell had to be alert when clearing the ball off the line following a Nuzum shot.
Wicklow increased the pressure inside the last five minutes in search of a foothold in the game, and tensions were running high across the pitch; the Enniscorthy defence successfully withstood two more short corners as well as a long corner to finally emerge deserved winners.
Squad: Graham Hill; Keith Ogilvie; Clive Rothwell; Martyn Veitch; Ivan Rothwell; Daithí Medcalf; Glen Chapman; David Simmons; Edmundas Luikimas; Jason Rothwell; Liam Jowett; John McWey; Roy Chapman; Niall Maguire; Jonathon Rothwell
