English earns late share of the spoils
Sole familiar face in new line-up the last-gasp saviour
THE FIRST phase of a getting-toknow-you process ended on a very bright note in miserable weather conditions in Ferrycarrig Park on Friday when an almost completely new-look Wexford F.C. battled back to earn a deserved draw with U.C.D. in added time.
All bar one of the 14 players used by the home team were making their competitive debuts for the club, but the odd man out was the last-gasp hero as his sweet strike from just outside the box salvaged a point in this SSE Airtricity First Division opener.
Kilkenny striker Conor English featured in eight league outings last season on his second stint at the club, scoring once from the penalty spot, and he was rewarded for his non-stop running here with a fine finish to share the spoils with the side relegated from the top flight at the end of last season.
We were a mere twelve seconds into the four added minutes when Cian Kavanagh threaded a neat through ball down the middle for English and, when it bobbled up invitingly off the greasy surface, he belted it first time into the left corner beyond U.C.D. netminder Lorcan Healy.
It was a quality strike on such a difficult night for football, with a wind howling towards the left corner of the field at the Ferrycarrig end accompanied by non-stop rainfall.
And while it’s going to take a few weeks of action for the small fanbase to grow accustomed to the numerous new faces on board, they are sure to warm to them if this type of commitment to the cause is matched and hopefully bettered as the 27-game campaign continues.
English, and three of the four unused substitutes – Lee Costello, Seán Roche and Colum Feeney – were the only survivors from last season’s squad, while the latter was also the sole Wexford native in the home side’s ranks.
Both sides found it easier to play into the wind once they were able to get the ball on the deck, because it was all too easy to inadvertently over-hit passes when playing into the Ferrycarrig end.
Wexford did earn five first-half corners on the left side of the pitch compared to two for the visitors, but they found themselves in arrears from the 15th minute after U.C.D. deceived the completely new back four with a well-taken goal.
Yousef ‘Yoyo’ Mahdy delivered a neat pass to Colm Whelan slightly to the right of the clubhouse end goal, and the Waterford youngster’s shot hit the right post before flying into the far corner of the net.
Wexford didn’t create anything of note until the 25th minute, and even then it was only a halfblocked Conor English shot from an Azeez Yusuff cross that was meat and drink for netminder Lorcan Healy.
Liam Kerrigan pinged a shot over from the left edge of the box for the students, before Wexford forced three corners in quick succession.
Cian Kavanagh played the second one short to Kaleem Simon and whipped the return pass low towards the near post, forcing goalkeeper Healy to knock it out for another corner after it hopped off the surface in front of him.
After an English shot was blocked, there was a brief scare at the other end when goalkeeper Tom Murphy spilled a cross from Evan Weir on to the head of goalscorer Whelan, but the ball went wide.
A nice turn and run by Kaleem Simon in the 39th minute was a taste of things to come, and on first viewing it looks like a lot of Wexford’s attacking thrust will be provided by this exciting talent, playing just behind front man English in a central position.
The home side looked more comfortable playing into the wind as they were able to control possession to a greater degree.
And they almost grabbed an equaliser in the 53rd minute when a cross from the left by captain Dan Tobin was headed out for a corner by a defender who wasn’t too far away from conceding an own goal.
Cian Kavanagh’s subsequent delivery broke at the near post for centre-half James Carroll who shot into the side-netting, but it was more encouraging from Wexford’s point of view.
Conor English had a miscue on their next attack after a right-wing cross from lively substitute Charlie Smith was partially cleared into his path.
Kaleem Simon made a strong run to the byline before his delivery was intercepted, while English didn’t test netminder Healy with a shot in the 63rd minute.
U.C.D. couldn’t capitalise on the last of their three corners, and the sole one earned in the second-half, before Cian Kavanagh whipped a free-kick towards the near post but it was beaten away by Healy prior to a defender’s clearance.
Simon then forced Wexford’s final corner, their seventh, with Kavanagh’s delivery cleared before Yousef Mahdy pulled a shot across goal and wide at the other end.
Charlie Smith made a menacing run into the box but his cross was caught by the netminder, and it looked as though that strong second-half effort might go without any rewards until Conor English stepped up to give the home fans something to cheer about.
There was one last chance to nick a victory when English was fouled near the byline, but Charlie Smith’s free-kick was cleared before the final whistle sounded.
Next up for Wexford is a trip to the Carlisle Grounds on Friday to face Bray Wanderers, and they have also been drawn to host the same opposition in the first round of the EA Sports Cup on Tuesday, March 10.
With nine other teams in the First Division, they will play 27 times in all – in three sequences with the same running order: U.C.D., Bray Wanderers, Galway United, Athlone Town, Cabinteely, Shamrock Rovers II, Cobh Ramblers, Drogheda United and Longford Town.
Their next game in Ferrycarrig Park will be on Friday, March 6, versus Galway United.
Wexford F.C.: Tom Murphy; Karl Fitzsimons, James Carroll, Paul Cleary, Dan Tobin (capt.); Conor Crowley, Cian Kavanagh; Azeez Yusuff, Kaleem Simon, Jay Amour; Conor English. Subs. - Charlie Smith for Yusuff (HT), Karl Manahan for Amour, inj. (69), Patrick O’Sullivan for Kavanagh (90+4), also Lee Costello, Kristian Crawford, Seán Roche, Colum Feeney.
U.C.D.: Lorcan Healy; Michael Gallagher, Josh Collins, Luke Boore, Evan Weir; Evan Farrell, Jack Keaney (capt.); Yousef Mahdy, Paul Doyle, Liam Kerrigan; Colm Whelan. Subs. - Seán McDonald for Mahdy (79), Ciarán Behan for Kerrigan (79), Michael O’Keane for Doyle (90), also Isaac Akinsete, Abdul Babiker, Mark Dignam, Eoghan O’Sullivan.
Referee: Jason Mannix (Cork).
Other results: Cabinteely 4, Bray Wanderers 2; Cobh Ramblers 0, Drogheda United 2; Longford Town 2, Shamrock Rovers II 0; Galway United v. Athlone Town (postponed).
Fixtures (all Friday, February 28, 7.45 p.m.): Athlone Town v. Cabinteely; Bray Wanderers v. Wexford F.C.; Drogheda United v. Longford Town; U.C.D. v. Cobh Ramblers; Shamrock Rovers II v. Galway United (Saturday, February 29, 3 p.m.).