Jarrett rattles the net twice
Women maintain six-point gap with commanding win
WEXFORD YOUTHS GALWAY W.F.C. 3 0
RIANNA JARRETT netted twice as Wexford Youths maintained their six-point advantage at the top of the Continental Tyres Women’s National League table with victory over Galway in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
The win was the third in the space of a week for Tom Elmes’ side as they continue to hold a useful lead over Shelbourne and Peamount as the season drifts into the second half. This was win number ten from eleven games, the ninth in a row in the league.
After giving more than half his side a rest during the week, it was all change again for Wexford for the visit of the westerners. Sophie Lenehan returned to the goal in place of Ciamh Dollard, while Orlaith Conlon and Becky Cassin were re-introduced into the back four.
Edel Kennedy and her energy came into the centre of midfield, while Aisling Frawley and Claire O’Riordan, playing her final game for Youths before moving to Germany, lined up in the wide positions.
However, the biggest boost was surely the sight of Rianna Jarrett in the starting line-up. Given her injury history, signs were worrying when the Wexford forward was forced off three days earlier with her knee iced, but she showed no ill effects in a superb 57 minutes of action.
Wexford never take victory against Galway for granted, like maybe they did earlier in the week against Kilkenny. That meant starting on the front foot, with the right intensity levels, and Galway simply couldn’t cope.
In fact, the visitors looked completely flat. A long bus journey with temperatures in the mid-twenties is probably not conducive to a team’s best effort, and there was no doubt that Galway are better than what they showed in this game.
It was all Wexford, as they knocked the ball around with ease in the first-half and their opponents didn’t enjoy chasing their shadows. Again it started in defence, as the comfort on the ball in the back four is starting to draw teams out, stretching them, and making them uncomfortable.
Claire O’Riordan is a big loss, no doubt, but Wexford can deal with it. The way Lauren Dwyer is playing, with everything she currently means to how the team operates, losing the Carlow native through injury or otherwise would give Tom Elmes far bigger headaches.
But the others are excelling too. Nicola Sinnott’s link-up on the right with Aisling Frawley was a big reason why Wexford held a half-time lead.
The Ballagh woman is sneakily good on the ball and her economical use in the first-half gave Frawley the chance to shine again.
Sinnott’s throw-in, controlled and laid off by Jarrett, send Frawley in on the left in the third minute but she fired into the side-netting. Kennedy then saw her strike from inside the area blocked to safety by a relieved defence.
When Emma Hansberry’s corner was cleared by Shauna Fox - the first of many times the imposing Galway defender dealt with a set-piece - Sinnott flashed in a 25-yard strike that sent Tina Hughes flying to her left to save.
Youths took the lead in the 15th minute when Frawley won the ball back high up the field. She took her time, fed Jarrett on the edge of the area, and the Youths striker lofted a left-footed shot over the advancing Hughes.
Frawley was at it again on the right in the 22nd minute when Wexford went two up. She got to that spot on the byline again, right where she prospers, and forced the ball into the goalmouth.
It deflected off Galway defender Shauna Fox with O’Riordan lurking and floated into the net, with Jarrett prepared to pounce if necessary.
The result looked beyond doubt at this stage. When Kennedy tried to burst through the heart of the Galway defence in the 52nd minute she was fouled on the edge of the area and, with Hansberry trying to shake off a knock, Jarrett stepped up to the dead-ball and rattled the crossbar.
Kylie Murphy was the first Youths player to beat Shauna Fox at a set-piece but her header flew over in first-half added-time. Just before the whistle Hansberry shanked a low shot which spun off Fox’s heel and flew just wide of the post.
With the sun still belting down, Wexford took just five second-half minutes to wrap up the points. Jarrett fed O’Riordan in on the left, and the Limerick woman beat her marker and crossed for Jarrett to stoop low and head home.
The third goal was the signal for Youths to manage the remainder of the game. Neither Murphy nor O’Riordan could force Hansberry’s 60th-minute corner into the net.
At the other end a sharp Lynsey McKey strike was well held by Sophie Lenehan, while Lauren Dwyer galloped back calmly to win possession when it looked like the Galway forward might break clear.
Wexford improved again with the introduction of Aoife Slattery’s fresh legs in the 72nd minute. Hansberry’s free-kick was well held by Hughes, and Slattery then twice linked up with Kennedy to find Becky Conroy but the winger couldn’t produce a telling finish.
Looking to end her Wexford spell in memorable fashion, Claire O’Riordan leapt high but headed over from Kennedy’s late cross. It wouldn’t have counted anyway, as the flag was up for offside.
Wexford get a little breather now with no midweek game, but they return to action in Cork on Saturday evening. That’s followed by a home league game against UCD Waves, which is likely to be their last in that competition before the Champions League.
Wexford Youths: Sophie Lenehan; Nicola Sinnott, Lauren Dwyer, Orlaith Conlon, Becky Cassin; Kylie Murphy (capt.), Edel Kennedy; Aisling Frawley, Emma Hansberry, Claire O’Riordan; Rianna Jarrett. Subs. - Doireann Fahey for Cassin (57), Becky Conroy for Jarrett (57), Aoife Slattery for Murphy (72), also Ciamh Dollard, Katrina Parrock, Orla Casey, Ciara Delaney.
Galway W.F.C.: Tina Hughes; Rachel Baynes, Shauna Fox, Méadbh De Búrca (capt.), Carlie Schecht; Aislinn Meaney, Emma Starr, Tessa Mullins, Sinéad Donovan, Lucia Lobata; Lynsey McKey. Subs. - Leah Brady for Schecht (47), Aoife Thompson for Mullins (51), also Aoife Walsh, Sarah Baynes, Chloe Singleton, Ria McPhilibin.
Referee: Seamus Kelly (Wexford).