U-17 girls beaten by Galway in first final
Wexford girls reeled in after taking lead versus Galway
GALWAY 3
WEXFORD YOUTHS 1
IT WAS a disappointing end to a memorable season for the Wexford Youths Under-17 side as they lost the SO Hotels National League final to Galway in Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday.
After coming under serious pressure in the first-half, Blessing Kingsley put Wexford ahead shortly after the break, but the hosts showed their quality in the remainder of the game, powering back to take a league and cup double.
Despite the fall at the final hurdle, there’s no more that could be expected of this Wexford side after a gutsy season.
They were able to put it up to everyone, beating most of the rest before coming up against the cream of the crop.
Galway started on the front foot and almost took an eleventh-minute lead when Saoirse Healey found Anna Fahey in the penalty area, but Wexford ‘keeper Jean Doyle-Kavanagh came out to block the shot. Shauna Brennan met the follow-up but pulled her effort wide.
The westerners kept the pressure up as the game moved towards the midpoint in the half.
Brennan picked Fahey out in the box, and she sent a quick snapshot at goal, but Doyle-Kavanagh made the block again.
Wexford had their first sniff of a possible opener when Kira Bates-Crosbie met a left wing corner at the back post, but she was unable to hit the target while stretching from six yards out.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Brennan almost picked out Fahey in the area four minutes before the interval, but the Wexford ‘keeper came out to take control.
Seven minutes after the break, Wexford took a surprise lead. Therese Kinnevey got caught dawdling on the ball, and Blessing Kingsley nipped in to take it away and curled an inch-perfect shot around Abbie Ronayne to the net.
Unfortunately for Wexford, three minutes later Annie Gough whipped in a left wing corner on the strong breeze that beat Doyle-Kavanagh at her near post and ended up in the Youths net.
Things got worse for the Ferrycarrig Park side midway through the half. Kellie Brennan got through on the inside left and brought a solid stop out of Doyle-Kavanagh, but Kayla Brady followed up to fire to the empty net.
Having given everything to stay in the game, Wexford didn’t have the legs for a big response. Abbie
Callanan almost wrapped up the title, forcing the visiting ‘keeper into another stop, but there was no denying Aoibhín Donnelly in the 79th minute as she turned in the clincher from close range.
While Youths will naturally be disappointed to fall in the final, there’s no shame losing to the best team in the league on their own patch.
A few of these players will make the step up to the Senior squad in the coming seasons, and others won’t, but they will always remember their growth as a team and individuals this season.
Wexford Youths: Jean Doyle-Kavanagh; Becky Connaughton, Aimee Bates-Crosbie, Neema Nyangasi, Breda Cushen; Eimear Gabbett, Freya Roche, Kira Bates-Crosbie, Beth Evesson, Seren Ward; Blessing Kinsley. Subs. - Laura Butler for Bates-Crosbie, also Aime Dreelan, Marie O’Callaghan, Áine McDonald, Maeve Williams, Shanise O’Reilly, Cliodhna Donnelly.
Galway WFC: Abbie Ronayne; Shauna Brennan, Kelsey Monroe, Therese Kinnevey, Annie Gough; Kellie Brennan, Kate Slevin, Kayla Brady, Jane Trehy, Saoirse Healey; Anna Fahey. Subs. - Abbie Callanan for Fahey, Aoibhín Donnelly for Healey, also Hannah Walsh, Hana Ueno, Ciara McManus, Emma O’Donoghue, Bryna Milton, Allanah McNeill.
Referee: Bartley Folan.