Porter grabs brace of goals against old club
WATERFORD UNITED WEXFORD YOUTHS 1 3 A SECOND-HALF strike from Dean George and an Eoin Porter brace propelled Wexford Youths past Waterford United in Tramore on Sunday and into the quarter-final of the SSE Airtricity League Under-19 Shield.
Manager Billy Molloy has been targeting this game for several weeks, since it was clear that Youths wouldn’t finish in the top four and book a place in the cup competition.
It paid off because his players were ready for what Waterford had to offer.
Wexford started the game well, attacking dangerously down the right wing through Michael Molloy but his stellar work wasn’t rewarded with any clearcut chances.
A scrappy spell was almost lit up when Corey Chambers was forced to save a long-range shot while crashing into the post.
Youths didn’t heed that warning as a few minutes later Jake Mooney’s strike from distance flew past Chambers to the top corner of the net.
Wexford bossed the remainder of the half but couldn’t find that killer pass to create a clearcut opening.
A tactical tweak at the break, with Eoin Porter moving up top with Dean George, immediately started to pay dividends.
FIve minutes into the half Paul Brennan combined with Molloy on the right, and the Youths wide man played the ball across goal for George to fire home the leveller.
No sooner had they equalised than Wexford were ahead.
This time it was Ciarán Murphy picking out Eoin Porter on the edge of the area, and he controlled on his chest and drilled a stunning volley past Matthew Sheehan to the net.
Youths didn’t rest on their laurels, continuing to press and looking for a clincher. George went through one-on-one with Sheehan but saw his effort saved. Vincent Quinlan was also denied by the Waterford ‘keeper.
With a little over 20 minutes remaining the visitors wrapped up the win.
A superb team move that flowed from Eoin Donnelly, through Quinlan and George, ended with Porter controlling on the edge of the box and firing low to the bottom right corner against his former club.
Adam Rochford had a chance to add a fourth but was denied by Sheehan. Waterford threw everything at Wexford in the last few minutes, forced Chambers into a couple of saves and hit the post, but there was to be no denying the Ferrycarrig Park boys.
Next up for Youths is another away trip to take on Shelbourne in the last eight.
The game was scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Tolka Park but there is likely to be a change owing to the All-Ireland football final replay taking place nearby.
Wexford Youths: Corey Chambers; Paul Carton, Owen McCormack, Conor Sutton (capt.), Paul Brennan; Michael Molloy, Eoin Donnelly, Vincent Quinlan, Ciarán Murphy; Eoin Porter; Dean George. Subs. - Seán Duffy for Brennan, Adam Rochford for Molloy, Dylan Bradley for Porter, Cormac Kehoe for Quinlan, also Ciaran Lú, Neil Murphy.
Waterford United: Matthew Sheehan (capt.); Tommy Teer, Conor Dunphy, Eoghan Rea, Corey Gallagher; Jake Mooney, Alan Fitzsimons, Glenn Waters, Ben Palmer; Hayden Galibert, Shane Russell. Subs. - Roy Butler, Dylan Maguire, Dara Keane, Jack Larkin, Shane Griffin.