U13 Division 2 League match report.

WICKLOW ROVERS B 5 WOLFE TONE YOUTH CLUB 3

In a truly remarkable game, Wicklow staged a brilliant comeback to take a giant leap towards the WDSL U13 Division 2 League title.
Trailing 3-1 at the interval, second half braces by Cormac Murray and Stephen Finlay at Whitegates last Saturday helped Rovers register their sixth straight win in the competition.
A Neil Gorman hat-trick had seen Wolfe Tone come from 1-0 behind to hold a two goal cushion.
But the fact they only had ten players – due to school entrance exams and illness – was the big factor as they fell nine points behind their opponents.
The other startling fact was that there were 33 clear goal-scoring opportunities in the contest as both teams tried to play constructive football.
Rovers took a fifth minute lead. Finlay’s slide rule pass saw James Lang side-step a challenge on the edge of the box and round Jordan Holmes to roll the ball in an open goal.
Having come down from the Premier Division Shield, the away side levelled by the tenth minute.
After good work by Oisín Broughan, Gorman showed great foot-work to evade two tackles and create space to fire low to the net from 12-yards.
And the ‘Youth Club went in front in the 24th minute.
A Rovers free saw three shots blocked down. On a break along the left wing, Daniel Waters released Gorman from the halfway line to superbly lift a shot over the advancing Daragh Power.
Then right on the stroke of half time, Waters was the provider again.
And Gorman held off a defender to complete his treble.
The match turned in a 45 seconds spell in the 47th and 48th minutes.
First, Finlay’s surging run along the left channel saw Holmes make a fine save. But Murray pounced on the close range rebound.
Wolfe Tone had barely tipped off when Murray raced through to hook the ball up and over Holmes.
Having themselves come down from the Division 1 Shield, Wicklow’s comeback was completed in the 51st minute.
This time, Finlay did find a way to past Holmes with a great finish.
And then three minutes into stoppage time, Finlay’s pace and guile sealed the win as he fired to the roof of the net after another mazy run off the left flank.

Wicklow Rovers B: Daragh Power; Conor Hawes, Geoff Butler, Jack Gibney, Oliver Carey; James Lang, Jack Evans, Dean Noble, Stephen Finlay; Stuart Cox, Cormac Murray.
Subs: Harry Byrne (for Carey), Johnny Hodgkins (for Cox), Paul Rice (for Power) (all half time).

Wolfe Tone Youth Club: Jordan Holmes; Callum Hosey, Gary Purcell, Sam Graham, Keshaun Walsh; Oisín Broughan, Daniel Waters, Michael Moorehouse; Simon Doherty; Neil Gorman.

Referee: Joe Hanlon.

Report: Paul Dowling. Evening Herald.