Women reach final of shield
Youths recover from defeat
WEXFORD YOUTHS bounced back from their first domestic defeat of the season to beat foes Shelbourne and reach the Continental Tyres Women’s National League Development Shield final in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
Goals in either either half from McKenna Davidson and Aisling Frawley sandwiched a Katrina Parrock own goal as Youths claimed a morale-boosting success, just when it was needed ahead of a busy run-in.
This development shield is organised with the idea that fringe players get game time when the international players are away. That meant Wexford were just missing Rianna Jarrett from the team which slipped to league defeat against the same opposition.
It gave manager Tom Elmes the chance to bring McKenna Davidson in for her long-awaited full debut, and he was rewarded with the Hawaiian’s first goal for the club in the early stages.
There was one other change to the starting eleven as, after a difficult evening against Shelbourne seven days earlier, Sophie Lenehan was replaced by Ciamh Dollard in goal, a change that would likely have been made for this competition regardless.
Wexford started on the front foot and threatened immediately when Edel Kennedy flashed over from Aisling Frawley’s feed inside in the opening minute.
Dollard watched Murray’s effort from outside the area dip over her crossbar at the other end.
Youths took the lead in the seventh minute when Orlaith Conlon picked out Davidson isolated on left-back Seana Cooke. The diminutive attacker took her time and slotted her right-footed finish under the onrushing Amanda McQuillan to open the scoring.
Midway though the half Shelbourne equalised. Uncharacteristically, Wexford have struggled to deal with set-pieces in recent weeks and it was Murray’s right wing corner that Parrock headed over the stranded Dollard and into her own net to level the game.
Emma Hansberry wickedly sliced wide after Jess Gleeson failed to deal with Frawley’s cross from the left.
A little later Parrock took on two defenders but fired her shot straight into the welcoming arms of McQuillan.
Wexford continued to make the play for the rest of the first-half but couldn’t find the lead goal.
Frawley was a much more effective pawn than she was in the previous encounter and it was her cross that eventually found its way to Doireann Fahey but she thumped over from distance.
Youths were back on the offensive early in the second-half and, when Fahey’s cross was only half-cleared, Frawley thumped it back low to the net to send her side ahead again.
Player of the month Kylie Mur- phy headed over from a Hansberry corner but Wexford were starting to come under more pressure.
Kate Mooney headed a decent chance wide from the edge of the six-yard box before missing the target on a rare occasion she got through the heart of the Wexford defence.
Dollard made a sharp save down low from a powerful Gleeson free-kick from distance, but Youths survived to book a final date with Cork City.
It’s more cup action for Wexford this weekend when they welcome defending champions Cork to Ferrycarrig Park for the quarter-finals of the FAI Women’s Senior Cup.
The Leesides beat Youths in Bunclody last season on their way to their Aviva success and will be a firm test this time around.
Wexford Youths: Ciamh Dollard; Nicola Sinnott, Orlaith Conlon, Lauren Dwyer, Doireann Fahey; Kylie Murphy (capt.), Edel Kennedy; Aisling Frawley, Emma Hansberry, McKenna Davidson; Katrina Parrock. Subs. - Orla Casey for Parrock, also Sophie Lenehan, Ciara Delaney, Aoife Slattery, Rachel Hutchinson, Blessing Kingsley, Cliodhna Ní Shé.
Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan, Seana Cooke, Jessica Gleeson, Malinda Allen, Niamh Prior, Jamie Finn, Rachel Graham, Noelle Murray (capt.), Alex Kavanagh, Alannah McEvoy, Kate Mooney. Subs. - Isibeal Atkinson for McEvoy, Emily Whelan for Mooney, also Fiona Donnelly, Rachel Kelly, Karley Leavy, Jessica Ziu.
Referee: Michelle O’Neill (Wexford).