Wexford tame the Cats to progress
U-18s through to knockout stages
WEXFORD LEAGUE KILKENNY LEAGUE 2 1 WEXFORD booked their place in the knockout stages of the FAI Umbro Youth Inter-League Cup with a nervy win over Kilkenny in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
Having drawn 1-1 with the Carlow League in their opening outing in their three-team group, the Slaneysiders knew a victory would see them progress and matters appeared to be going very much to plan when the hosts held a 2-0 advantage inside eleven minutes.
Dylan McVeigh fired the home side in front with just three minutes on the clock, and when Cillian Gilligan applied the finish after brilliant build-up play from Jordan Redmond, they must have felt that a comfortable afternoon would be on the cards.
Wexford certainly couldn’t be accused of trying to sit on their lead as they stuck rigidly to their principle of playing football the right way, although they were guilty of overplaying and taking too many touches at times.
Kilkenny were allowed too much space and time on the ball and in Rory Monks they had a player capable of unlocking a defence with a moment of magic.
Monks did manage to pull a goal back in the 28th minute with a fine individual effort, and the skilful number ten looked most likely to grab the equaliser or produce a telling pass as his side pressed forward in the second-half.
The buffer Wexford built up with their lightning start proved crucial and they could have been ahead as early as the second minute when Kyle Firman played in Luke O’Neill, but his left-footed effort was smothered by goalkeeper Michael Walsh. The breakthrough came just two minutes later, with Dylan McVeigh slotting the ball to the back of the net after Cillian Gilligan’s effort had been blocked by the goalkeeper.
Gilligan added the second goal in the eleventh minute after magical approach play by Jordan Redmond. The winger gathered possession on the right and went on a mazy run to the by-line before delivering the perfect cross for the inrushing Gilligan to tap to the net and put Wexford firmly in the driving seat.
Kilkenny fired a warning shot on 18 minutes when Killian Duffy got on the end of a Kyran O’Sullivan corner and glanced a header narrowly wide, and they were back in the game within ten minutes when Rory Monks cut inside, drove forward and unleashed a shot from the edge of the area which nestled in the back of the net.
Kilkenny’s tails were up and five minutes later they had another sight of goal but Michael Byrne’s effort was comfortably saved by Darragh Brooks, although Wexford carved open their defence and came close to stretching the advantage on the stroke of halftime when Luke O’Neill sent in a sumptuous ball from the right but Jordan Redmond’s side-footed effort drifted wide of the left upright.
Wexford’s defence was largely untroubled in the third quarter, but as the clock ticked down the pressure increased and Kilkenny began to play with more abandon.
In the 74th minute Rory Monks arrowed a pass through to Cillian Power, but Darragh O’Connor produced a timely challenge as he was about to pull the trigger.
Seconds later there was another heartstopping moment as the ball richocheted goalwards following a Kyran O’Sullivan corner but Darragh Brooks gathered.
Monks then tried his luck with a shot from the edge of the area but his effort was off target and in a frantic finale Wexford also went close to sealing the deal.
On 84 minutes Jordan Redmond scooped a shot narrowly over the crossbar after Dylan McVeigh’s effort had been thwarted by Michael Walsh, and seconds later substitute Aaron O’Brien did well to play in Cillian Gilligan, but his touch past the goalkeeper was too heavy and the chance was lost.
Then with four minutes remaining Wexford goalkeeper Darragh Brooks had to back-pedal to tip a dangerous Adam Brennan cross over the bar.
Wexford substitute Andy Kennedy wriggled free and fired narrowly wide in the 87th minute, and at the other end John Nolan saw his shot deflected wide for a corner, while Darragh O’Connor got a vital touch on a lofted ball in from Kyran O’Sullivan in injury time and home supporters could breathe again.
Despite having to endure a few tense moments before the final whistle, Wexford deserved their victory, although manager Pádraig Whitty will have plenty to work on in the build-up to their next game as he continues to weave them into a cohesive unit. WEXFORD FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Darragh Brooks, Ayman Yousif, Ben Butler, Dylan Fleming, Darragh O’Connor, Ethan Vickers, Jordan Redmond, Kyle Firman, Cillian Gilligan, Dylan McVeigh, Luke O’Neill. Subs. - Aaron O’Brien for Firman, Dion Murphy for Yousif, Andy Kennedy for O’Neill, Danny O’Brien for Redmond, also Brandon Sinnott, Yawa Aboage, David Murray. KILKENNY FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Michael Walsh, Ben Maher, Kyran O’Sullivan, Michael Murphy, Killian Duffy, Michael Byrne, Adam Brennan, Jordan Molloy, Cillian Power, Rory Monks, David Maher. Subs. - John Nolan for Maher, Dan Brophy for Power, also Liam Brennan, Ciarán Farnan. REFEREE: Anthony Tobin.