Good point for U19s
High-flying Shamrock Rovers held
nipped in on the stroke of halftime to leave them trailing, and secondly, that they never could get the better of Rovers in the setpiece battle.
It was a game of very few clear chances in the first-half. Richie English cracked a free-kick from distance that Kelan Gaffney clutched at the second attempt in the 19th minute, and later Darren Prendergast made a telling block after Adham Masood intercepted and looked to feed in Shane Beary-Cahill.
Rovers didn’t look comfortable with Wexford’s intensity or with how the game was going. When Prendergast threw his hands up in dismay at a patron, who helpfully got up out of his seat to fetch the ball but accidentally threw it over the Rovers right-back’s head, it pretty much summed up the visitors’ attitude.
They did give warning to what they were capable of when Harry Cornally slipped Emmanuel Lawal through in the 43rd minute and Gaffney saved.
However, it wasn’t heeded as Luke Kelly ghosted in on the right two minutes later and fired across goal to the corner of the net.
If the goal was harsh on Wexford, they responded in the correct way. Masood had just missed the target with a strike moments earlier when he was involved down the right again.
Quinlan then took over, and chipped across goal to the back post where Beary-Cahill controlled and fired past Adam Kenny.
Much of the remainder of the second-half was spent by Shamrock Rovers picking holes in the hosts, and Gaffney repelling all their advances.
Dean Williams missed several opportunities, Wexford lad Darragh O’Connor and Kelly did too, but they couldn’t find the winning goal.
Then, with two minutes left, the visitors were forced to scramble clear a Danny Doyle corner, with Yaw Aboagye attempting to force home the ball from close range.
Right at the death English headed a right wing corner wide but it would have been harsh on a Wexford side which deserved their point.
Wexford F.C.: Kelan Gaffney; Craig O’Reilly, Ger Murray, Danny Bruce, Ciarán Paige; Cian Larkin (capt.); Adham Masood, Vincent Quinlan, Mick Gardiner, Shane Beary-Cahill; Danny Doyle. Subs. - Yaw Aboagye for Larkin (60), Adam Feeney for Masood (85), Ciarán Murphy for Beary-Cahill (85), also Colum Feeney, Liam Berry, Michael Carroll.
Shamrock Rovers: Adam Kenny; Darren Prendergast, Seán Callan, Darragh O’Connor, Eric Abulu; Richie English; Luke Kelly, Harry Cornally (capt.), Evan Smithers, Emmanuel Lawal; Dean Williams. Subs. - Thomas Oluwa for Cornally (67), Evan White for Smithers (90), also Shane O’Rourke, Conor Gleeson, Adam O’Connor.
Referee: Brian Fenlon (Wexford). THE WEXFORD Under-15 team bounced back from their bitterly disappointing showing against Galway last time out to grab a superb draw against high-flying Limerick in Ramstown on Sunday.
In fact, the hosts should really have completed the double against the Treaty boys, having taken the lead.
They had had multiple chances to score more goals throughout the contest, only to get done by a soft penalty decision midway though the second-half.
When the sides met down in Limerick earlier in the season, Seán Redmond grabbed the only goal to halt a poor Wexford start to the campaign, and this result could prove to be another huge confidence boost as the second phase fast approaches.
Wexford boss Mark Doran went back to the tried and trusted three at the back after flirting with four in recent weeks.
It made a huge difference as Darragh McGuire, Dylan Casey and Redmond were all rock solid back there.
Further forward, Kyle Clancy made his Wexford F.C. debut on the wing while on the other side of the field, Kennedy Cup star Seán Fitzpatrick is quickly making a name for himself after another impressive showing.
Also vitally important to Wexford’s improved display was the return of Patryk Remiasz.
The talented midfielder missed the last two games while away at Benfica’s camp, where he was singled out by coaches as one of the four stars out of the hundred-strong participants.
It’s easy to see why he’s impressed far and wide, with his quality in the middle allowing Evan Connelly and James Cullen to excel.
Up top Wexford mixed the troops with starters Evan Farrell and Liam Doyle sharing playing time with the physically imposing Tyler Dunphy.
It was all Wexford from the first moments and they created countless chances. Liam Doyle had a couple of one-on-one opportunities with the visiting ‘keeper, while Farrell broke through too but the home side just couldn’t get the goal their play deserved.
That was until a scramble from a corner saw the ball come back off the post and Doyle was on hand to mark his return to the starting line-up with the opening goal three minutes before the change of ends.
Wexford continued to create into the second-half, as Seán Fitzpatrick forced a fine save from the goalkeeper and the hosts also had a goal ruled out by a linesman’s flag. When a coming together in the box saw the visitors awarded a penalty midway though the half, they made no mistake and levelled the game.
The hosts continued to press forward looking for a winner but it wouldn’t come and they had to settle for a point, which was the least they deserved. They return to Ramstown on Saturday to face Kerry (3 p.m.).
Manager Mark Doran was full of compliments for the warm welcome he and his team received from Gorey Rangers, and they were impressed by the quality of the pitch after the recent spell of dry weather.
If Wexford can make themselves feel at home in Ramstown this coming week and beat Kerry, depending on other results, they could almost sew up the fourth spot they have targeted since a poor start to the season left them out of the running for the top three places.
Wexford F.C.: Aaron Phelan; Darragh McGuire, Dylan Casey, Seán Redmond; Seán Fitzpatrick, Patryk Remiasz, Evan Connolly, James Cullen, Kyle Clancy; Evan Farrell (capt.), Liam Doyle. Subs. - Tyler Dunphy, Seán Adam Gourley, Paddy Redmond, Rian Fitzpatrick, Dylan McEvoy, Luke Murphy.