Bottom two in dour stalemate
Wexford propping up table at the end of first phase
WEXFORD F.C. LONGFORD TOWN 0 0 TWO CLUBS struggling to re-adjust to life back down in the SSE Airtricity First Division met in the last of the seven games in the first phase of the league in Ferrycarrig Park on Friday, playing out a dour scoreless draw which left both still occupying the bottom spots on the table.
While Wexford may take some solace from their new formation producing a clean sheet in its second implementation, Longford Town no doubt headed home knowing that they created the better chances by far to break the deadlock.
It was an uneventful game for the most part, with the outcome highlighting the stark reality that both sides are struggling right now, and that the league table doesn’t lie as they haven’t reacted well to being relegated from the Premier Division.
Wexford have now met all of their seven opponents once, a process that will be repeated another three times before the end of the season. And while the old adage of familiarity breeding contempt may not necessarily ring true, it certainly leads to boredom and repetition as the same teams are faced over and over again.
The back injury captain Graham Doyle picked up in Tolka Park seven nights earlier meant he played no part in a league game for the first time since making his debut at the start of the 2012 season, with Corey Chambers deputising while promising teenager Adam Dempsey was promoted from the Under-19 side to the bench.
Four changes in outfield personnel were also made from that 2-0 loss to Shelbourne, with Andrew O’Connor, Thomas Croke, Lee Duffy and Liam Donnelly replaced by Seán Hurley, Ricky Fox, Craig Hayes and Adam Hanlon respectively.
Hurley and Fox filled their new wing-half roles once more, with Hanlon pushed up from his midfield slot against Waterford in the EA Sports Cup to partner Craig Hayes up front.
Longford have put together a stronger squad than Wexford after both sides’ relegation woes, retaining some experienced personnel while also securing the services of former Galway duo Stephen Walsh and Enda Curran, both of whom played prominent roles at either end of the field.
Walsh was composed and commanding at centre-half, repeatedly dealing with any threatening moves made by the home side, while centre-forward Curran will wonder how he left the venue without a goal to his name after getting on the end of the best second-half chances.
The opening period was largely devoid of clearcut openings although Wexford did force five corners compared to just one from their midland opponents.
However, the first real opening didn’t arrive until the 46th minute when a right-wing Longford cross by Don Cowan was headed over by David O’Sullivan.
That let-off for Wexford was followed by their fifth corner, conceded by Tristan Noack-Hoffman after Adam Hanlon tried to release Craig Hayes.
Shane Dunne’s set-piece was inviting, but Seán Hurley couldn’t get a firm connection with his head while a similar fate befell Ross Kenny at the far post.
Prior to that it was forgettable fare for the most part. Wexford were fortunate to see the offside flag raised in the second minute after Enda Curran nodded the ball on into the path of strike partner O’Sullivan who was gunning for goal.
Longford captain Kevin O’Connor headed clear from Shane Dunne’s first corner in the 13th minute, while Stephen Walsh didn’t get any power behind Cody Mulhall’s free-kick from the right on the visitors’ next attack.
Former Youths regular Aidan Friel was a notable name at rightback for Longford, while their midfield included Dean Zambra whose partner, Stephanie Roche, shot to international fame after scoring that goal for the ages at the same venue in the not too distant past.
Stephen Walsh was seen at his best on a couple of occasions when Adam Hanlon threatened, and there was a similar outcome to the next corner taken by Shane Dunne as Kevin O’Connor headed it to safety.
Corey Chambers claimed the sole Longford corner of the half before Tristan Noack-Hoffman picked up a yellow card as the game continued without any really decent openings being created.
The offside flag had been raised one way or the other when Longford netminder Paul Skinner fisted a Dunne cross away from Craig Hayes, while Stephen Walsh dealt with the third Wexford corner.
A Daniel O’Reilly header from a Longford free-kick didn’t worry Chambers before the two added minutes at the end of the half did provoke some heightened activity at either end as outlined earlier, but the sides retired for the break without a goal to their name.
Opportunities did come with more frequency on the re-start, and the majority were at the town end and fell to Longford.
Indeed, after Adam Hanlon headed wide from a Seán Hurley cross in the 55th minute, Wexford created little or nothing thereafter whereas Longford had four very good openings.
Shortly before that Hanlon had made an interception and pulled the ball across the goal and wide, but his second chance was quickly followed by an even better attack from the visitors.
Cody Mulhall’s cross from the left was perfect for Enda Curran, but he snatched at his first-time shot and drove it over the bar.
A Longford corner was cleared before Dean Zambra was booked for a foul on Craig Hayes.
Seán Hurley then did well to deal with a dangerous cross before a Jake Kelly corner left Daniel O’Reilly with a free header but he directed it wide.
Longford looked the more likely side to break the deadlock, with Mulhall shooting over the bar after a good first-time ball from Curran.
The ex-Galway attacker then neatly controlled a long ball from Tristan Noack-Hoffman and tried to lob Corey Chambers, but the netminder made a safe catch.
And Graham Doyle’s deputy certainly earned his keep on the next Longford attack in the 73rd minute with a vital double save. After initially keeping out Cody Mulhall’s effort, the rebound fell into the path of Curran whose shot was deflected onto the bar by Wexford’s young netminder.
It was the key moment of the game without question, as Longford would have surely collected all three points if they had managed to break the deadlock at that stage.
The siege was finally lifted, although Craig Wall and Adam Hanlon were well off target with speculative punts before Curran connected poorly with a Tristan Noack-Hoffman pass and didn’t trouble Chambers.
Wexford wasted a corner before Shane Dunne hammered a free-kick into the wall, while a Hanlon cross was blocked by Kevin O’Connor as the home side attacked late on.
There was a late booking for Craig McCabe on a night which ended in the home side’s first scoreless draw of the season, having picked up their other two points in 1-1 ties with Cobh Ramblers and U.C.D. respectively.
They remain at the foot of the table in eighth place, three points behind Longford and eleven away from leaders Waterford.
The second of the four league phases will begin in Ferrycarrig Park this Friday (8 p.m.) when Cobh Ramblers visit, and there is likely to be an edginess to proceedings after the Cork side’s boss, Stephen Henderson, was openly critical of his Wexford counterpart Damian Locke after the visitors’ late equaliser on the opening day of the season in St. Colman’s Park.
That leveller from Lee Duffy was the only one of a paltry three goals scored by a striker in the campaign thus far, with the other two coming from centre-half Ross Kenny, and Ricky Fox when he was stationed at right-back.
And unless Wexford find a cutting edge up front, they will continue to struggle, of that there is no doubt.
Wexford F.C.: Corey Chambers; Craig McCabe (capt.), Owen McCormack, Ross Kenny; Ricky Fox, Shane Dunne, Craig Wall, Eoin Porter, Seán Hurley; Adam Hanlon, Craig Hayes. Subs. - Danny Doyle for Hayes (77), Thomas Croke for Porter (80), also Seán Eve, Conor Sutton, Andrew O’Connor, Liam Donnelly, Adam Dempsey.
Longford Town: Paul Skinner; Aidan Friel, Daniel O’Reilly, Stephen Walsh, Tristan Noack-Hoffman; Don Cowan, Dean Zambra, Kevin O’Connor (capt.), Cody Mulhall; David O’Sullivan, Enda Curran. Subs. - Jake Kelly for O’Sullivan (HT), Dylan McGlade for Cowan (HT), Gavin Boyne for Curran, inj. (81), also Jack Brady, Rhys Gorman, Mark Langtry, Kealon Dillon.
Referee: Patrick O’Connor (Kilkenny). FIRST DIVISION TABLE
P W D L F A Pt Waterford FC 7 4 2 1 11 4 14 UCD 7 4 1 2 12 5 13 Shelbourne 7 3 3 1 10 8 12 Cobh Rblers 7 3 2 2 13 10 11 Cabinteely FC 7 3 1 3 11 9 10 Athlone Town 7 2 1 4 9 20 7 Longford Tn 71334 76 Wexford FC 7 0 3 4 3 10 3