U-19s draw in Limerick
LIMERICK F.C. 1 WEXFORD F.C. 1
WEXFORD BOOKENDED their mid-season break with draws after taking a point from their visit to Limerick in the SSE Airtricity Under-19 League Southern Elite section.
Tom O’Connor’s side had ended the first half of the season with a welcome point against local rivals Waterford F.C. and were hoping to keep the positive vibes going on their long trip west to face the Treaty boys.
For the most part they did just that, playing the better football for much of the game but just falling short of taking the chances they needed to snatch a morale-boosting second victory of the season.
The game got off to the worst possible start for the visitors to Limerick University as the hosts took the lead in the first ten minutes.
However, Wexford settled and played some quality football, with Dean George pulling the strings in the centre of the park.
Things could have actually got worse when Limerick broke through one-on-one with goalkeeper Jason Maguire midway through the half, but Wexford’s stopper pulled off a fantastic save to keep his side in the game.
The deserved equaliser came just before the interval and was the product of a fantastic individual effort by Danny Doyle.
Fresh enough, after playing 81 minutes with the seniors on the previous Friday evening, the Wexford attacker cut in from the right, drove between left-back and centre-half and calmly slotted low to the net.
Level-pegging at the interval, Wexford pushed on after the change of ends and really could, maybe should, have taken the lead. Twice influential midfielder Vinny Quinlan got through oneon-one but was denied.
Dean George had a good effort from outside the box that went close and substitute Yaw Aboagye went closest of all, heading off the woodwork later in the second period as Wexford pressed for a winner.
As the legs tired in the afternoon heat, Limerick came back into the game and pressured their visitors towards the end. However, the defence, with key performers Jack Gallagher on the right and Owen McCormack in the middle, stood strong to take a hard-earned share of the spoils.
Wexford return to action tonight (Tuesday) with a home cup tie against Cork City at 7.45 p.m. They repeat the trick just five days later when the Turner’s Cross club come to Ferrycarrig Park again, this time in the league.
Wexford F.C.: Jason Maguire; Jack Gallagher, Neil Murphy, Owen McCormack, Jack Bates; Eoin Curran, Vinny Quinlan, Dean George, Dylan Bradley; Robert Kane, Danny Doyle. Subs. - Cian Doyle for Kane, Yaw Aboagye for D. Doyle, Craig O’Reilly for Curran, Jack Healy for George, Adam Doyle for Bradley.