Sixth Under-17 defeat on the trot

WEXFORD YOUTHS lost their sixth straight game in the SSE Airtricity Under-17 League Southern Elite Section against high-flying Cobh Ramblers in St. Colman’s Park on Sunday.

The Cork boys have lost just two of their last 14 games and are on their way to a creditable fifth place finish in the table. They performed like a team that have been winning matches, playing an attractive brand of confident, attacking football.

Yet it was Wexford who started the game on the front foot, taking the lead in the first three minutes. It came from a quick Youths breakaway and ended with Danny Doyle driving into the penalty area and coolly tucking away his finish.

Cobh are a forward-thinking side by nature, constantly getting their four attacking players into dangerous positions. By the seventh minute they had turned around the deficit and were leading 2-1.

Two became four by the half-hour mark as Wexford struggled to contain their dynamic opponents. Late in the half Garrett Larkin’s side settled and gave themselves a little hope heading in at the break.

Ronan O’Kelly was the scorer of Youths’ second goal, picking the ball up 25 yards out before smashing it into the top corner of the Ramblers net.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Cobh made it 5-2 shortly after the break.

Still, this young Wexford side has no fear. They responded with typical class and pulled another goal back when the elusive Adham Masoud broke from midfield, beat a handful of Ramblers defenders and stroked the ball to the corner of the net.

In the final 30 minutes Youths really gave it a go. They were the better team and had several chances to really make a game of it but that fourth goal just wouldn’t come.

At the end of a cracking game of football the ninth and final goal came for Cobh and condemned Wexford to a sixth three-or-worse goal defeat of the season.

Youths now have a week to brush themselves off and get ready for the post-season. They still have one final league game at home to UCD to play on Sunday week but then it will be straight into the shield competition.

Wexford Youths: Adam Dempsey; Callum Broaders, Paddy Barron, Cian Foley, Jack Bates; Sam O’Neill, Mikey Carroll, Craig O’Reilly, Adham Masoud; Danny Doyle, Ronan O’Kelly. Subs. - Liam Berry for O’Neill, Cian Doyle for O’Kelly, Stephen Kearns for O’Reilly.

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.