Kennedy craving more after cup win
Edel and Becky Cassin involved with Youths
TWELVE months can be a very long time in sport.
Great teams and revered athletes can often see their fortunes changed for better or worse in the space of a year.
In November 2018, Edel Kennedy and Wexford Youths were lining out against Peamount United in the FAI Cup Final, on the cusp of securing a domestic treble having already won the league title and domestic shield; a treble that they would subsequently complete courtesy of a 1-0 win.
A year later, it was a repeat of that same cup final from 2018, as Wexford retained their crown against Peamount in the Aviva Stadium this past Sunday.
The outcome was the same as it was the season prior, but Wexford’s joy up to that point was in stark contrast to what had come before.
While they went into the season as defending national league champions, they would surrender that trophy to Peamount United by the end of October, who won their first title since the competition’s inception in 2011.
Lifting the FAI Cup, in some sense, acted as a consolation for a disappointing season.
Reflecting on the game, Edel Kennedy, the Carnew-born defender who has been a Wexford Youths stalwart since the beginning of the Women’s National League in 2011, says that the FAI Cup success will be used as a launchpad in their attempts to take back the league title that they lost.
‘We knew well that we could compete, and we were determined to win (Sunday), so when things go against you, you’re always going to take extra determination from that.
‘We did have to prove, on Sunday, how good we were; even to ourselves.
‘During the league campaign, Peamount beat us three times.
‘We thought that we had left the games behind us. They’re always tight games. We had to prove to ourselves yesterday that we were well capable of going out to win.’
It speaks to the high bar that Wexford have set for themselves that captain Kylie Murphy can tell The42, with complete sincerity, that the season was still not good enough for them.
“Three trophies last year, one this year; you do the maths.
‘To us, it’s not good enough,” are her exact words so soon after scoring the goal that meant retaining the FAI Cup.
Edel Kennedy, joined by Rathdrum’s Becky Cassin on the youths panel, echoes that sentiment when speaking with the Wicklow People.
She’s happy to have won the trophy but does not consider it as having made up for what was an otherwise disappointing campaign. If anything, she says that the team will be using the cup win as a platform on which they can build towards a renewed title challenge next season.
“We needed to win something this year to carry ourselves into next year.
“100 per cent, we won’t want to finish anywhere else but on top of the league.
‘To us, finishing third is entirely not good enough, finishing second isn’t good enough. We’re definitely going out to win the league next year.
Andy McEvoy Premier Division: Carnew AFC v Rathnew AFC, 11.30, Back Alley; Arklow Celtic v Avonmore FC, 11.30, Celtic Park; Glencormac United v Arklow Town 2.30, Ryder’s Field; St. Anthony’s v Ashford Rovers, 11.30, Finn Park; Newtown United v St. Peter’s FC, 11.30, Matt Kelly Memorial Grounds.
Pat O’Toole Division 2: Arklow Town v Ballywaltrim FC, 2.30, Travers Insurances Park; Roundwood AFC v Aughrim Rangers, 11.30, Vartry Grounds; Derry Rovers v Coolboy Rangers, 2.30, Clonegal; Carnew AFC v Conary United, 2.30, Back Alley; Avonmore FC v Arklow Celtic, 11.30, Pat O’Toole Park; Greystones United AFC v St Anthony’s, 2.30, Woodlands.
Wicklow League results
Andy McEvoy Premier Division: St Peter’s FC w/o, Rathnew AFC scr.; Avonmore FC
St Peter’s 5 4 0 1 16 6 12 Avonmore 4 4 0 0 13 3 12 Glencormac 4 3 1 0 17 8 10 Rathnew 51319 86 Ashford Rvs 6 2 0 4 13 18 6 Wicklow Rvs 5 2 0 3 12 19 6 Arklow Cel 5 1 1 3 12 16 4 Arklow Town 6 1 1 4 15 26 4 Carnew 21019 63 Newtown Utd 2 1 0 1 6 83 St Anthony’s 4 1 0 3 11 15 3
PAT O’TOOLE DIVISION 2 Arklow Utd 6 4 2 0 19 10 14 Aughrim Rgs 4 4 0 0 24 8 12 Coolboy Rgs 5 3 1 1 18 9 10 Arklow Town 5 3 1 1 16 13 10 Roundwood 3 3 0 0 10 4 9 Derry Rvs 5 2 1 2 9 14 7 Carnew 4 1 1 2 13 12 4 Shamrock C 4 1 1 3 10 10 4 Conary Utd 31117 84 Arklow Cel 4 1 0 3 8 11 3 Greystones 5 1 0 4 9 13 3 Avonmore 5 1 0 4 5 15 3 St Anthony’s 20021 80 Ballywaltrim 3 0 0 3 5 19 0