Bray spoil party as Chin joins the Youths
Just five games left to steer course away from danger
WEXFORD YOUTHS are rapidly running out of chances to escape the promotion/relegation play-off place in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division after they slumped to a disappointing defeat to a completely rejuvenated Bray Wanderers side in Ferrycarrig Park on Friday.
Fortunately for them, Longford Town also lost to Bohemians on a 1-0 scoreline, meaning the gap of six points remains at the foot of the table. However, Youths are still four points adrift of Finn Harps and safety, with the Donegal club now having two games in hand after their home clash with St. Patrick’s Athletic was postponed due to an unplayable pitch.
Just five games remain for Youths, home to Galway United and Finn Harps, and away to St. Patrick’s Athletic, Sligo Rovers and Cork City. That latter clash, scheduled for next Friday, is off as the Leesiders are in FAI Cup semi-final action on Sunday, and that may well prove to be a blessing in disguise for manager Shane Keegan.
It should give him some time to at least settle on what he considers to be his strongest team, because stability will be of the utmost importance in the conclusion to the season.
And this was clearly lacking in the past week, with six changes made between the Derry City and Bohemians game, and then an incredible seven alterations from the starting eleven in Dalymount Park on Monday and Friday’s lineup versus Bray.
The boss has seen his hand forced in recent times, particularly in defence where the news that steady centre-back Stephen Last is emigrating due to a new job opportunity came hot on the heels of Danny Ledwith and Conor O’Keeffe parting company with the club.
And with Gary Delaney’s ankle injury set to rule him out for a while, it led to what many might consider a desperate measure with the acquisition of Lee Chin whose sole previous experience of League of Ireland soccer was a brief spell with Waterford United in the First Division before beginning his involvement with the Wexford footballers and later the hurlers.
Not alone was he hastily signed, the talented all-rounder was parachuted in to the starting eleven for Friday as the new centre-back partner for Lee Grace. He was one of those seven changes from the Bohs game, with Craig McCabe, Jonny Bonner, Shane Dempsey, Andy Mulligan, Paul Murphy and Aidan Keenan also selected to the exclusion of Aidan Friel, Stephen Last, Chris Kenny, Peter Higgins, Shane Dunne, Eoin Porter and Danny Furlong.
Only the top two of Dundalk and Cork City have sufficient squad depth to be able to make such wholesale changes from game to game and still achieve favourable results.
It was surprising, therefore, to note that only Graham Doyle, Lee Grace, Andrew O’Connor and Eric Molloy were retained from the loss to Bohs. And even more oddly, while the bench was strong and it was clear that Bray were well on top, just one of the permitted three substitutions was made when Shane Dunne came in at the break for Andy Mulligan who had shipped a knock in the 26th minute.
The counter argument, of course, is that it’s wise to continuously alter the starting eleven at this time of the season and give players sufficient rest. However, when it’s not achieving the required results, surely the policy is flawed.
Naturally enough, the spotlight fell on Lee Chin, with photographers from the two main sports agencies in the country dispatched to Ferrycarrig Park to record his debut.
His touch and positioning was generally good for someone with such scant experience of the game in the past five years, although Bray did avail of a non-existent central defence for their opening goal in the 21st minute.
His rustiness was evident in the yellow card collected for an over-zealous challenge on Kevin Lynch in the 39th minute, but he also brought the best out of Bray netminder Peter Cherrie with a glancing header near the end.
This was a markedly different Wanderers from the side which Youths beat 2-0 at the same venue on April 1. They have lost just one of their last 14 games at this stage, with a home win over high-flying Dundalk the undoubted highlight.
Harry Kenny has brought stability after his temporary managerial post following the departure of Mick Cooke was made permanent, and they played with the swagger of a side knowing that they cannot be sucked into the relegation battle as they are mathematically safe.
Not for the first time this season, Craig McCabe’s long throw-in seemed to represent the sole means by which Youths might worry the visiting defence, with a fourth-minute effort coming off a back before Paul Murphy touched the break wide.
The home side forced the firsthalf’s sole corner after a scramble following another McCabe throw, with Peter Cherrie fisting clear from Shane Dempsey before another delivery from the midfielder was initially spilled but then hacked away.
Cherrie was smartly off his line in the tenth minute when Lee Chin tried to find Paul Murphy with a long ball. Andrew O’Connor then whipped in a good cross for Murphy but the slightest of touches by Bray’s Conor Kenna put him off and the chance was lost.
Youths’ confidence took a battering in the 21st minute after Alan McNally, operating just in front of the back four, won a 50-50 ball with Shane Dempsey at midfield. The ground opened up in front of him and while Graham Doyle saved Jason Marks’ shot, the ball rebounded into the path of Mark Salmon who calmly tucked it home.
Bray’s Hugh Douglas did well to head a Craig McCabe cross back to his goalkeeper with Aidan Keenan applying strong pressure as Youths tried to respond quickly. Shane Dempsey sent a free-kick into the path of Lee Chin but he couldn’t get the ball down and there was no threat to Cherrie.
There was no end product either after a good initial touch and crossfield run by Eric Molloy into the box in the 24th minute, while Andy Mulligan had a shot blocked on the edge of the area after an Aidan Keenan knockdown.
Shane Dempsey fired over from a short Jonny Bonner free-kick in the 35th minute, with Lee Chin entering the notebook and the subsequent free-kick by Karl Moore headed over by Alan McNally.
Paul Murphy was also yellow carded, with the rain getting heavier with every passing minute as Graham Doyle saved comfortably from a Ger Pender header before Lee Grace made a good tackle on the same player.
The rain did ease at half-time, and Aidan Keenan had the ball in the net from a long Lee Grace delivery in the 52nd minute but it was ruled out for a foul by the striker.
Grace was lucky to get away with a sloppy back pass, but unfortunately this was a portent of things to come.
Eric Molloy saw his shot deflected for a corner, with Andrew O’Connor’s setpiece breaking for Shane Dempsey whose effort flew into the clouds.
The second Bray goal in the 60th minute was a cheap giveaway, with left-back O’Connor selling Graham Doyle short with a backpass, and Ger Pender rounding the netminder before scoring for the fourth game on the trot.
The sole Bray corner of the game was defended but Youths were struggling to create anything worthwhile at the other end.
And Wanderers looked to be on course for a repeat of their 3-0 win at the Carlisle Grounds in July when Karl Moore slipped the ball through for Kevin Lynch to calmly tuck away their third goal in the 73rd minute.
There was no way back for Youths, although Jonny Bonner tested Peter Cherrie from a free-kick after a Shane Dempsey step-over before the latter fired a snapshot wide.
A diving Aidan Keenan just missed connecting with a Paul Murphy cross in the 79th minute, while Cherrie had to be alert to get his hands on a glancing header from Lee Chin after Bonner floated in another free-kick from the right.
At least Youths kept trying, and they were rewarded with a consolation goal in the 88th minute. Their fourth and final corner came after Bray’s Alan McNally got his head on a Craig McCabe cross.
Andrew O’Connor sent it in from the right and Cherrie’s fisted clearance fell at the feet of Shane Dempsey who volleyed home low to the corner of the net.
Jonny Bonner fired over with a decent effort from an Eric Molloy pass, but the last attack fell to the victors as their three substitutes combined before Seán Harding’s cross was headed over by Chris Lyons.
Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle (capt.); Craig McCabe, Lee Grace, Lee Chin, Andrew O’Connor; Eric Molloy, Jonny Bonner, Shane Dempsey, Andy Mulligan; Paul Murphy, Aidan Keenan. Subs. - Shane Dunne for Mulligan (HT), also Chris Kenny, Aidan Friel, Danny Furlong, Peter Higgins, Eoin Porter, Corey Chambers.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Conor Kenna (capt.), Tim Clancy, Alan Kehoe; Alan McNally; Jason Marks, Mark Salmon, Karl Moore, Kevin Lynch; Ger Pender. Subs. - Andrew Lewis for Pender (69), Chris Lyons for Clancy (77), Seán Harding for Marks (80), also Lee Steacy, Daniel Blackbyrne, Dean Kelly, Paul Finnegan.
Referee: James McKell (Tipperary).