Youths make point
THE Wexford Football League came close to collecting all three points in their FAI Youth inter-league opener in Carlow on Saturday, but the hosts grabbed a late leveller to rescue a point in a pulsating encounter.
Both sides wanted to play football in the right manner, resulting in a free-flowing contest with plenty of attacking endeavour, and Carlow sent the pulses racing in the Wexford defence within two minutes of the kick-off, but a searching delivery from the left wing was averted to safety.
Luke O’Neill was the first Wexford player to get a sniff of goal, but his shot after he had embarked on a mazy run was smothered by the Carlow goalkeeper.
Although both sides were intent on getting the ball forward with neat passing, clearcut chances were at a premium and the closest either side came for the remainder of the half was when Wexford’s Jordan Redmond hit a shot narrowly over the bar.
Wexford bossed much of the second-half in the possession stakes and deservedly took the lead when Cillian Gilligan gathered the ball outside the area, pirouetted around the challenges of a couple of defenders and kept his composure to find the back of the net from ten yards.
Carlow goalkeeper Evans then did brilliantly to thwart Luke O’Neill and Wexford continued to threaten to increase their advantage, but they failed to make the breakthrough again with their final ball letting them down at times.
Unfortunately, they were made to pay for their failure to kill off the tie when Carlow plundered an equaliser with ten minutes remaining, as Ross Hanley raced clear and lobbed the advancing goalkeeper from the edge of the area.
Both teams went for the jugular in search of a winner and the Wexford contingent felt aggrieved at not being awarded a penalty when O’Neill looked to have been brought down in the area.
However, Carlow went close to grabbing a dramatic winner but Darragh Brooks made a fine stop from a close-range effort.
Wexford are at home against the Kilkenny League in their next game in late November.
Carlow: Evans, Lillis, Keightley, Brennan, Dunne, Lillis, Clarke, Mackey, Hanley, Murphy, Adegoke. Subs. used - Taylor and Aerifr.
Wexford: Darragh Brooks, Ayman Yousif, Dillon Connolly, Dylan Fleming, Darragh O’Connor, Ethan Vickers, Jordan Redmond, Dylan McVeigh, Cillian Gilligan, Aaron O’Brien, Luke O’Neill. Subs. used - Andy Kennedy, Jamie Thomas, Kyle Firman, Sinnott, O’Reilly.
Referee: Michael Monaghan (Carlow).