Classy Wexford march on
Slaneysiders put Mayo Football League to the sword
WEXFORD LEAGUE MAYO LEAGUE 4 0
A STRONG Wexford Football League outfit had too much power and guile for Mayo in New Ross on Sunday, running out convincing winners to book their place in the last eight of the Oscar Traynor Trophy.
Wexford boasted a side that was brimful of players with League of Ireland experience and the extra class told, with two goals in each half making it a comfortable afternoon for the hosts.
The Slaneysiders were two goals to the good inside the opening 14 minutes, with former Waterford United and Wexford Youths defender Gary Delaney firing them in front after just eight minutes and Kyle Dempsey doubling their advantage.
Mayo tried hard to break down a resolute home defence with little reward, and further goals in the second-half from Robin Dempsey and Gareth McCurtin rubbed salt into the westerners’ wounds.
After making the long journey to the south-east, the Connacht outfit would have been eyeing a positive opening, but they were quickly rocked back on their heels by a lightning start from John Godkin’s men.
The hosts almost made the breakthrough with seven minutes on the clock when Paul Murphy picked out Ricky Fox with an inch perfect pass, and after some clever footwork he saw his shot across the face of goal deflected out for a corner.
Seconds later Wexford were in front when Delaney tapped in at the far post after a shot from Murphy was saved by goalkeeper Gary Cunningham.
Mayo came close to the perfect response, with Jamie Cawley fizzing a shot narrowly wide two minutes later, but the hosts quickly added their second when Kyle Dempsey ran on to a pass from Murphy and confidently finished from an acute angle.
Mayo were finding it difficult to pierce holes in the Wexford rearguard, with Gary Delaney and Ian Sinnott mopping up everything at the heart of the defence, although Jason Hunt did try his luck from the edge of the area on 15 minutes, but his shot was always rising over the bar.
Wexford looked the more likely to add to their tally, though, with Gareth McCurtin shooting over on the run and Paul Murphy firing a 30-yard free-kick on target, which was comfortably gathered by goalkeeper Gary Cunningham.
A Colm Nevin cross from the right caused a rare moment of worry in the Wexford defence in the 33rd minute. Seconds later the home side almost added a third when Paul Murphy found the inrushing John O’Connor in space, but his effort drifted wide of the target.
Mayo needed to sprint out of the traps after the interval if they harboured any hopes of a revival, but the wind was well and truly taken out of their sails just three minutes after the re-start when Wexford extended their advantage.
Warren Broaders whipped in a great cross from the right and Robin Dempsey did the rest, heading the ball beyond Cunningham from close range.
Dempsey was inches away from grabbing a quick-fire double moments later but his angled drive went the wrong side of the left post, while John Peare also tried his luck but his shot flew a yard over the top.
To their credit Mayo refused to throw in the towel and the hard-working James O’Donnell whipped in a free-kick which Chris Maughan got his head to, but the Wexford defence were there in numbers to avert the danger, while Colm Nevin curled wide from a dead-ball on the hour mark.
Wexford continued to look dangerous, though, and after the energetic Gareth McCurtin had earlier steered a shot wide from a prohibitive angle, he did get his name on the scoresheet in the 75th minute when he nodded in a Shane Dempsey free-kick from the right.
Mayo tried hard to garner some crumbs of comfort from the contest, and on 77 minutes Jamie Cawley hit the side-netting after being played in by Mark Birrane, while at the other end substitute Seán Culleton was off target after a flowing move.
Cawley went close to grabbing a consolation goal late on, when he swivelled and fired a shot through a sea of bodies, but goalkeeper Lee Walker was alert and got down well to make the save to keep Wexford’s clean sheet intact.
Wexford now face an away ties against the Carlow Football League in the quarter-final.