Third narrow home loss on trot for Under-17 side
WEXFORD F.C. GALWAY UNITED 0 1
WEXFORD F.C. recorded their third consecutive 1-0 defeat in Ferrycarrig Park as they somehow failed to score against high-flying Galway United in this SSE Airtricity Under-17 League tie on Saturday.
While the task was certainly not made any easier by Wexford’s lack of available substitutions, they battled on hard into the dying minutes in the blistering sun, only to come up narrowly short of what would have been a valuable point.
In some ways it’s hard to fault the performance, Wexford probably dominated 60% of the game and while each side had their spells, the Model boys created more clearcut chances than their opponents over the course of the game.
However, Wexford did start slowly and as Darragh Levingston adjusted to his new position at right-back, he gifted Colin Kelly an early chance which was well matched by Seán Maher.
Wexford countered directly after Maher’s save, with Caellum Devlin-Travers sending Robert Bulmer away, only for the forward to scuff wide from close range.
Devlin-Travers smashed another wide before Galway had their best opening of the first-half when Dara Costello’s cross found Kelly at the back post, but the striker couldn’t turn his effort goalward.
The final two big chances of the first-half fell to the home side. The first, an audacious effort by Bulmer, almost caught Sam O’Gorman off his line before James Dowling somehow curled his shot too high after controlling Shane Gibson’s free-kick.
The visitors dominated the 15 minutes after the re-start but it was Devlin-Travers who hit the first shot of the half well wide.
Eventually Galway did get their chance on the hour mark and Kelly made no mistake as he placed under the advancing Maher.
From then on, Wexford were the only side looking to create. Seán Smithers, after coming on from the bench, had his golden opportunity well saved by O’Gorman after an intelligent Dowling pass.
Brody Murphy then headed the resulting corner directly at the Galway ‘keeper from eight yards as pressure built on the Galway defence.
It looked as if Dowling had finally put the sides on level terms with ten minutes left.
Bulmer played a pass into the now attacking midfielder’s feet - he turned and side-footed a shot towards the top left corner, only for O’Gorman to leap and get the faintest of touches to turn it wide.
That save from O’Gorman was enough to send all three points back west.
Wexford are back in Ferrycarrig next weekend against strugglers Kerry. A fourth consecutive home defeat will simply not be good enough.
Wexford F.C.: Seán Maher; Darragh Levingston (capt.), Kyle Scallan, Dylan Whelan, Shane Gibson; Caellum Devlin-Travers, Graham O’Reilly, Ethan O’Neill, James Dowling, Brody Murphy; Robert Bulmer. Subs. - Seán Smithers for Devlin-Travers (63), also Aaron Hall.
Galway United: Sam O’Gorman; Hakeem Ryan, Ben Molloy, Ben O’Gorman; Jack O’Neill, Harry O’Gorman, Donal Higgins (capt.), Adam Farrell, Dara Costello; Dean Fadden, Colin Kelly. Subs. - Dean Murphy for H. O’Gorman (76), Charlie Concannon for Kelly (85), Oleg Vysochan for Higgins (93), also Liam Corcoran, Ian Casserly, Cian O’Brien, Eoin McSweeney.
Referee: Brian Fenlon (Wexford).