U-17s sickened by late leveller
KERRY LEAGUE WEXFORD F.C. 2 2
A 94TH-MINUTE equaliser sickened Wexford as they spurned the opportunity to make it three wins from three in the SSE Airtricity League Under-17 Southern Elite Division in Mounthawk Park, Tralee, on Sunday.
The age-old phrase, ‘you’ve got to take your chances’, springs to mind as Wexford again created the better opportunities but failed to kill off Kerry.
The officiating mustn’t go without mention either. Eddie O’Mahony and his assistants were poor as they ultimately played a major role in deciding the outcome.
O’Mahony failed to award Wexford what appeared to be an obvious penalty late in the first-half when Killian Griffin was dragged to the ground, and his linesman was equally as weak when he judged Sebastian Vasiu to be onside for Kerry’s first.
Nonetheless, Wexford started on the front foot. Dylan Whelan had already hit the bar with a header when Darragh Levingston’s cross was finished clinically by James Dowling at the back post in the fifth minute.
Jordan Barry was Kerry’s main threat in the opening period, but Seán Maher in the Wexford goal was more than a match for his efforts on target.
Both Whelan and Caellum Devlin-Travers could have extended the lead before Dowling did - the intricate winger showed enormous composure as he placed to the left side of Alex O’Connor for his and for Wexford’s second.
After withstanding some early pressure after the re-start, Wexford gained control of the game again. Ethan O’Neill’s cross was headed against the post by Dowling as the woodwork denied him his hat-trick.
Yet, Kerry soon struck from a Wexford corner. Breaking fast, Vasiu finished through Graham O’Reilly’s legs and past Maher to give life to the game.
John Carmody had flashed a few efforts wide and over the crossbar before his faintest of touches was enough to secure Kerry a point.
In a situation painfully similar to the one this squad faced months ago in Bray, deep into injury time Maher fumbled a high ball into the box and Carmody’s touch was adjudged by Kerry referee O’Mahony to have crossed the line, despite his linesman’s flag staying down.
Wexford will take some positives from the performance, despite their inability to close out this lead, as they travel unbeaten to Limerick next weekend.
Wexford F.C.: Seán Maher; Seán O’Brien-Murphy, Kyle Scallan (capt.), Dylan Whelan, Killian Griffin; Caellum Devlin-Travers, Graham O’Reilly, Ethan O’Neill, Darragh Levingston, James Dowling; Brody Murphy. Subs. - Cillian McDonald for Griffin (68), Brian Byrne for O’Neill (68), Kevin Murphy for Devlin-Travers (83), Robert Bulmer for Murphy (89), also Shane Gibson.
Kerry League: Alex O’Connor; Dylan Quirke, David Rogers. James Rusk (capt.), Paddy O’Rourke; Sebastian Vasiu, Junior Ankomah, Owen Benson, Boki Nikic, Jordan Barry; John Carmody. Subs. - Shane O’Connell for O’Connor (46), J.R. Tshikato for Quirke (52), Leon Shalemra for O’Rourke (52), Nathan Gleeson for Barry (62), Patrick Dowling for Nikic (83), also David Oba, Dylan Murphy.
Referee: Eddie O’Mahony (Kerry). MONDAY, APRIL 23 U-11 Cup quarter-final: Bunclody v. New Ross Town (7.00). U-11 Division 1: Bridge Rovers