Mar 29 A game of two halves sees Town paying the penalty
If ever a game highlighted the potential for craziness in football, it was this game, a Leinster Youth Cup quarter final tie, between Arklow Town U18's and Sheriff YC.  Town travelled to Fairview Park with spirits high after the excellent peformance, and win, against the Irish U16's the previous Wednesday evening back in Arklow, the majority of this Arklow team still competing at under 16 level.  The first half, Arklow aided by a (growing) breeze, was largely one-way traffic, with Town playing at times some excellent football and forever placing the Sheriff YC defence under the severest of pressure.  Chances had already been spurned before Jonathan Kelty headed Town into a deserved lead.  When Stephen O'Neill burst through to place past Sheriff keeper Dean Simpson to put Town two ahead, the result was already looking beyond the Dublin side.  That belief was further strengthened before half time with a third Arklow goal, defender Paul Rice gleefully putting the seal on Town's dominance.

However, as is often the saying, it's a game of two halves, and Town were given a reminder straight from the restart when Sheriff hit the crossbar.  The Dublin side needed an early goal if to retain any cup aspirations and they duly got it.  When the referee then pointed to the penalty spot after an innocuous challenge for the ball between Town's keeper Cormac O'Brien and a Sheriff attacker the Dublin side had more than a spring in their step; they refound their belief, and with the penalty comfortably despatched into Town's net, it was game well and truly on.  Sheriff laid siege on Town's goal, aided by the wind, and substitute Keith Armstrong made an absolutely wonderful goal line clearance when somehow getting back with an outstretched leg to clear.  Great defending. 

There was an air of inevitability when Sheriff levelled, much to the delight of their support.  Town looked shellshocked, and with reason.  However, with the game then going into extra time, the one way traffic pattern of the game continued, though this time it was Town in the ascendency.  Try as they might, they couldn't find a way through Sheriff's back line and though they may deny it the Dublin side seemed quite content to try their luck via the lottery of the dreaded penalty shoot out.  And indeed, that is precisely what happened, the game ending level 3-3 after extra time.  Penalty shoot outs are a wonderful spectacle when you emerge triumphant, and truly awful experiences when not successful.  This was not to be Arklow Town's day.  Stephen O'Neill stepped up first, to coolly slot home.  Sheriff then levelled.  Up stepped Aaron Barry, who had put in a superb performance in normal and extra time.  His penalty was coolness personified, considering the immense pressure on the players.  Sidefooting his kick into the extreme left corner, past the keeper who had guessed correctly took bottle.  The Dublin side then again levelled.  James Scallan was next for Town and with his attempt being blocked by Sheriff's keeper the door was ajar for Sheriff to take advantage.  That they did, and when Daniel Ledwith blazed over the last nail was being placed in Town's coffin.  Up stepped the fourth Sheriff penalty taker to fire the Dublin side into the last four, and Town - somehow - were out, in the cruelest of manners.  Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and there's no excusing the loss of a 3-0 lead, but this young side knows it can compete at the highest levels and needs to take the hurt from this defeat and build upon it.  Experience you sometimes cannot buy.  Roll on next year's draw...

Images from the game:

Feb 14 All Blacks swept aside by top Town
Arklow Town Youths turned on the style at Bridgewater Centre Park in their eagerly anticipated Leinster Youths Cup 4th Round clash with a fancied All Blacks side, from Wexford.  Due to the recent spell of inclement weather the fixture had twice been postponed and this backlog of fixtures could yet scupper Town's assault on numerous fronts for silverware this season.  The visitors, All Blacks, arrived in Arklow with a respected reputation having beaten a strong Home Farm side in their previous outing. Town themselves had advanced to the 4th round on the back of an excellent win over Dublin side Rangers AFC, so a keenly fought contest was anticipated.  The opening exchanges were tight, with Arklow seeking to create down either flank.  The home side etched out a number of half chances, all spurned.  A Paul Werder cross found Stephen O'Neill in a central position but O'Neill's header glanced wide.

That was followed with Daniel Ledwith seeing a firm header striking the All Blacks post after an excellent cross from Werder.   In the twentieth minute O'Neill again went close, getting on the end of a Ledwith cross to force the Wexford keeper into a fine save.  All Blacks sensed an opportunity to score against the run of play and pressed Town for a short spell.  However, Arklow, superbly marshalled at the back by James Scallan, were in no mood to concede and it was Scallan himself who thought he had given Town the lead but he was adjudged to have handled the ball before firing home.

Seven minutes later, Town were finally rewarded for their constant pressure, with Daniel Ledwith getting on the end of a Jonathan Kelty cross to slot home from close range.  Town made the perfect start in the second half with Stephen O'Neill pushing through the keeper's legs to double Arklow's lead after, again, excellent play from Paul Werder.  The game as a contest was put beyond the Wexford side when Shane Murray, enjoying a great game in midfield alongside Clive Crammond, switched play as Arklow pressed forward.  Paul Werder was afforded the freedom of the park and his unselfish play allowed Stephen O'Neill, from five yards, to net his second and Town's third.  Despite All Black's willingness to play an attractive brand of football, a fourth Arklow goal almost straight from the restart sealed their fate.  Shane Murray broke through the middle, finding Jonathan Kelty and the Arklow man shot home low into the corner.  The rout continued two minutes later after Jack Tim Murphy, introduced as a substitute, operating on the left flank, found Paul Werder six yards out and he placed home, a deserved reward for his work ethic on the day.  Substitute Darragh Culleton went close late on, getting on the end of a Shane Murray cross, but his headed effort smacked off the crossbar.  Culleton was not to be denied though, two minutes later, getting on the end of a cross from the tireless Werder after Werder had beaten four defenders with a mazy run.  Town's win sees them advance to the quarter finals of the Leinster Youth Cup and a tough assignment away at Sherriff YC.

Nov 23 Town maul fancied Dublin Rangers
Dublin side Rangers AFC arrived at Arklow’s Bridgewater Centre Park ground on Saturday last fancying themselves to advance quite comfortably into the last sixteen of the Leinster Youth Cup against a youthful Arklow Town side, predominately still under sixteen years of age, in this under eighteen competition.  However, the opening quarter aside, they ran straight into a well-oiled Arklow machine, fully intent themselves of securing a place in the last sixteen.  Both sides opened keenly, intent on getting the ball down and utilising both flanks when attacking.  Arklow began to take control though on the quarter hour mark, with Danny Ledwith lively on the left and a combination of Paul Werder and Jonathan Kelty on the opposite right.  Town opened the scoring on the half hour mark, Shane Murray and Keith Armstrong, in the Town engine room, forcing Rangers into losing possession, a quick raid down Town’s left flank saw Danny Ledwith execute a perfect cross into the Rangers six yard box for Town striker Stephen O’Neill to coolly slot home from close range.  Five minutes later Town doubled their lead, through O’Neill oncemore.

Kelty won possession in the middle of the park and his weighted pass to O’Neill put the Arklow forward clean through to round the keeper, doubling Arklow’s lead.  Kelty himself put the tie beyond doubt in the 40th minute after Shane Murray had again broken up a Rangers attack.  Murray broke downfield and his accurate chip over the Dublin side’s defence found Kelty who volleyed home from the edge of the box.  Moments before half time, Arklow’s Danny Ledwith scored a goal worthy of any stage, getting on the end of a fantastic run and cross from Joey Elliott to powerfully head home an unstoppable effort on goal from ten yards out.  Ten minutes into the second half Paul Werder intercepted a ball on Town’s right flank and he found Jonathan Kelty in acres of space on the edge of the Rangers area.  Kelty didn’t need asking twice as he deftly lobbed the away keeper into an empty net, to emphasise the difference in the teams on the day.  Fifteen minutes from time, the away side did manage to register a score through a deflection on the edge of Town’s penalty area after a free kick had been awarded.  Town responded in the closing minutes through Jack Tim Murphy, a trademark raid down the left wing, cutting inside and driving to the roof of the net, beating the keeper at the near post, to secure a highly impressive 6-1 win for the Arklow side over noted opponents.  Manager Daragh Murray was delighted with the team’s performance, praising their discipline and tempo throughout the game.