Another loss for U-17 team
Wexford’s fifth defeat in row
WEXFORD FELL to their fifth straight defeat as bottom-placed U.C.D. took all three points in their SSE Airtricity Under-17 League Southern Elite Division encounter in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
It was a game which meant very little and for periods it certainly looked like this was the case. With both sides out of the running for a top four finish, finding the motivation to produce a performance was the biggest challenge.
The students would eventually win the game through a penalty conceded by Wexford ‘keeper Colum Feeney, but in truth they should have had the same opportunity to take the lead in the opening minutes.
Feeney bundled over Promise Omochere in the fourth minute, only for referee Nicky Boland to completely ignore the obvious spot kick.
Justice appeared to be served just eight minutes later as U.C.D. deservedly took the lead. Andy Farrell half-volleyed sublimely into the top right corner of the net from Hugh O’Mahony’s cross.
Adham Masood caught the Dublin defence sleeping soon after the goal but couldn’t direct his shot away from the U.C.D. goalkeeper.
The visitors followed up with two of their better opportunites, as David Samson cut in on his right only to shoot straight at Feeney before Kealen Sherratt blasted over from Charlie Smith’s free.
Before the break, Caellum Travers-Devlin could easily have levelled the scores. His mazy run, accompanied by a fortuitous bounce, saw him one-on-one with Matthew Treanor, only for the Wexford midfielder to drag his shot wide.
U.C.D. looked brighter after the re-start and should have made it two when Samson’s toe-poke was cleared off the line. Omochere was making a positive contribution from midfield too, but none of his efforts were goal-bound either.
The Ferrycarrig side levelled the game in the 67th minute, despite being reduced to ten men moments earlier when captain Jack Gallagher was shown his second yellow card.
Signorelli’s long ball found Masood who squared for Brandon Deady, and the substitute kept his nerve to place to the left side of the advancing Treanor.
Wexford’s team of ten pushed for a winner but inevitably left space at the back in doing so. U.C.D. eventually got their penalty when Feeney brought down Samson after Darragh Nugent’s well-weighted pass over the Wex- ford back line set him away.
Although Feeney managed to save Omochere’s central penalty, Farrell was quickest to react and fire home the rebound to seal the win for the Dublin side.
Wexford’s league season is now over and their next tie will see them on the road to Cobh Ramblers in the shield this coming weekend.
Wexford: Colum Feeney; Jason Daly, Conor Signorelli, Reece Murphy, Cian Foley, Jack Gallagher (capt.); Caellum Travers-Devlin, Patrick Barron, Ciarán Paige; James Esser, Adham Masood. Subs. - Oscar Smith for Esser (54), Brandon Deady for Travers-Devlin (54), also Liam Berry, Craig O’Reilly.
U.C.D.: Matthew Treanor; Seán Madden, Charlie Smith, Darragh Nugent, Kealen Sherratt; Hugh Torfeldt, Dylan Reilly, Promise Omochere (capt.), Hugh O’Mahony, Andy Farrell; David Samson. Subs. - Adam Byrne for Samson (82), Dan Mullen for Sherratt (82), also Luke Hannigan, Ethan Levins, Seán Prenter, Harry McEvoy.
Referee: Nicky Boland (Wexford).