Fourth U-17 loss on trot
WATERFORD F.C. WEXFORD F.C.
WEXFORD SLIPPED to their fourth straight defeat but they did snap a run of three games without a goal in their SSE Airtricity Under-17 Southern Elite Division match with Waterford in the R.S.C. on Saturday.
In truth, Derek O’Brien’s side were more than a tad unlucky to go down as heavily as they did. They had as much of the play, and more attempts on goal, but couldn’t consistently find a way past solid goalkeepers Noel Heffernan and Brendan Kirwan.
Almost everything good that happened for the visitors went through Adham Masood. The winger was in inspired form, consistently dancing past his marker and switching it up between firing in crosses and cutting back on his favoured left boot and rattling shots at goal.
On another day Masood could have had a hat-trick and Wexford might have taken the scalp of their neighbours. However, there’s a reason why Waterford are certain to finish top of the table and it was evident in their clinical performance.
The Blues do everything the right way. They play nice football, they are strong but fair in the tackle, and they work the ball into good areas of the field. They don’t waste good opportunities when they arise either.
That said, they were helped massively in the first-half, with Wexford players scoring all three goals to go in 2-1 down. The hosts started the game on the front foot and went in front inside three minutes when Caellum Travers-Devlin headed Colm Whelan’s corner into his own net.
The Ferrycarrig Park side were nearly gifted a way back into the game when referee Patrick O’Connor penalised Jack O’Donnell for a perfectly-timed tackle on Travers-Devlin, who whipped the 25-yard free-kick inches past the right post himself.
Waterford were undoubtedly the better team in the opening quarter and went close on a couple of occasions. Jack Larkin brought out a fine save from Colum Feeney from Darragh Power’s pull-back, and later Regix Madika blazed high and wide with the goal at his mercy.
Wexford got back level in the 29th minute. Again it was Masood doing all the damage, as he stepped in from the right wing, got the ball onto that left foot and whipped a lovely low curler into the bottom corner to give former North End youngster Noel Heffernan no chance.
No sooner had Wexford got back on terms than they were behind again. This time it was Darragh Power on the right getting the cross into the box, and Travers-Devlin stuck out his leg to divert the ball past Feeney.
The visitors were the better team for the rest of the half, and for the whole of the third quarter too. Liam Berry saw an effort stopped by Kirwan before Masood twice tested the handling of the new Waterford stopper. A fantastic defensive block then denied Ciarán Paige with 20 minutes left.
Waterford wrapped up the win ten minutes from time when Oisín Knox raced away onto O’Donnell’s pass to net. Four minutes later Colm Whelan scored the goal his all-round performance deserved to make it 4-1.
Masood continued to test Kirwan into injury time but there was no second goal forthcoming for the winger. Wexford will be looking to end the league season in positive fashion when they face U.C.D. in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday afternoon.
Wexford: Colum Feeney; Jack Gallagher, Cian Foley, Reece Murphy, Conor Signorelli; Patrick Barron, Caellum Travers-Devlin; Adham Masood, Oscar Smith, Brandon Deady; Liam Berry (capt.). Subs. - Craig O’Reilly for Berry (63), Ciarán Paige for Travers-Devlin (73), Jason Daly for Barron (83), James Esser for Deady, inj. (85).
Waterford: Noel Heffernan; Kallum Broaders, Greg Waters, Lee Costello; Dean Beresford; Darragh Power, Jack O’Donnell, Jack Larkin (capt.), Regix Madika; Ciarán Brennan, Colm Whelan. Subs. - Brendan Kirwan for Heffernan (46), Niall O’Keeffe for Beresford (46), Seán Tracey for Medika (46), Oisín Knox for Power (67), Samuel Dwyer for Costello (67), also Mike Nzongong, Torik Adegoke.
Referee: Patrick O’Connor (Kilkenny).