BOHS RUN RIOT
Wexford concede seven goals in rout
WEXFORD F.C. BOHEMIANS
THIS SEASON cannot end quickly enough for Wexford F.C. who were on the receiving end of another humiliation at home in Ferrycarrig Park on Friday when Bohemians put seven goals past them in a one-sided Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup first round tie.
Perhaps we should be thankful for small mercies given that they have already conceded eight on two occasions to First Division opponents of lesser quality, Drogheda United and U.C.D., in a truly awful campaign, because the Phibsborough stronghold could easily have made it into double figures in this farce.
In reality, a Premier Division side, albeit one of the distinctly mediocre variety if league results are scrutinised, was never going to slip up in a game of this nature.
Having said that, the least one expected was a modicum of fight from the home side, but it wasn’t in evidence and they will now see out 2018 with four league games and no realistic prospect of improving on their second-last place in the First Division.
It is generally accepted in any team sport that a hammering will ensue if players stand off technically superior opponents and allow them to do their thing under no pressure.
Either Wexford F.C. didn’t realise that, or simply weren’t able to do anything about it, because the time their Bohemians rivals were allowed on the ball made their runaway win inevitable from an early stage.
It must be accepted that the general standard of players on view at Ferrycarrig Park right now is as low as it has ever been at the venue since League of Ireland football was first played there eleven years ago.
And while it’s perhaps encouraging for the future to see so many teenagers introduced to the first team, it’s also unfair to place such a heavy burden on their young shoulders when too many of their older colleagues just aren’t up to the task.
One thing that was warmly welcomed on Friday was the return of a bit of atmosphere at the venue, with the sizeable Bohemians support singing their hearts out from start to finish, particularly when word came through that arch-rivals Shamrock Rovers had been dumped by Drogheda United.
And they were in full voice from an early stage, as J.J. Lunney grabbed their first goal from a Kevin Devaney pass inside four minutes.
Liam McCartan had cleared a Dan Casey header off the line following a Devaney corner beforehand, and the latter’s second flag kick in the eighth minute was headed home unchallenged by striker Dinny Corcoran.
Danny Doyle had a shot blocked in the box on a brief release from all the pressure before Bohs extended their lead to 3-0 in the 13th minute.
Wexford looked for an offside flag that was never going to be raised when Corcoran rolled the ball into the path of captain Derek Pender on the right, and he had all the time in the world to pick out Daniel Kelly for an easy goal.
Eoin McCormack blocked a Keith Ward shot and then, over four minutes later, the centre-half saw his long ball intended for Dean Walsh intercepted by the alert Pender.
A foul on Kevin Devaney on the left angle of the box roughly 25 metres out led to the next Bohs goal in the 26th minute, with Keith Ward beating the wall and young netminder Colum Feeney with a precise free-kick.
Dean Walsh did see a set-piece at the other end tipped over the bar by talented goalkeeper Shane Supple for a fruitless first Wexford corner shortly afterwards, but they were glad to make it to half-time without conceding another goal.
Indeed, Keith Ward missed an open goal after rounding Feeney from a long ball by J.J. Lunney in the 37th minute, hitting the left post as Ross Kenny tried to make what appeared to be a simple task that bit harder by his presence.
The best chances for consolation goals both fell to Danny Doyle in the second-half, with Supple saving his low shot a mere eleven seconds after the re-start.
And Lunney kept his side’s clean sheet intact with a goal-line clearance in the 53rd minute after Doyle robbed Darragh Leahy and saw his second shot after an initial favourable rebound fly into the air off the body of Supple.
A Dean Walsh drive from a Doyle pull back had been well saved by the Bohs netminder in between, but there wasn’t even the small consolation of Wexford denying the rampant visitors further goals.
Feeney stopped a Darragh Leahy shot for a corner in the 58th minute, and Keith Ward’s delivery from the left was finished to the net by Dinny Corcoran for his second.
Lunney nearly made it six after another corner eventually fell into his path, but it did arrive when substitute Eoghan Stokes headed home from Daniel Kelly’s lofted pass in the 68th minute.
The seventh and, mercifully, final goal arrived ten minutes later when another replacement, Christian Magerusan, had a simple tap-in after Feeney saved from Kelly.
Dinny Corcoran should have completed a hat-trick between the fifth and sixth goals when he got his angles all wrong from a Keith Ward pass, while Dan Casey later blazed a back heel from Kelly wide.
J.J. Lunney somehow fired over from pointblank range, and it was only by the grace of God that Wexford didn’t suffer the same fate as non-league Blarney United who lost 12-2 to Derry City on Saturday.
While the quality won’t be at the same level, Shelbourne will visit Ferrycarrig Park on Friday (8 p.m.) hell bent on continuing their surge for a play-off spot at the very least.
In those circumstances, it could be another trying night for Wexford who will also host Cobh Ramblers and Athlone Town while travelling to Galway before season’s end.
Wexford F.C.: Colum Feeney; Liam McCartan, Owen McCormack, Ross Kenny (capt.), A.J. Lehane; Conor Sutton, Paddy Cahill; Adham Masood, Danny Doyle, Dean George; Dean Walsh. Subs. - Ryan Nolan for Masood (HT), Aaron Dobbs for Cahill (66), Seán Kelly for Walsh (84), also Seán Maher, Mark Slater, Vincent Quinlan, Craig O’Reilly.
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Derek Pender (capt.), Dan Byrne, Dan Casey, Darragh Leahy; J.J. Lunney, Keith Buckley; Daniel Kelly, Keith Ward, Kevin Devaney; Dinny Corcoran. Subs. - Patrick Kirk for Leahy (60), Eoghan Stokes for Devaney (64), Christian Magerusan for Corcoran (70), also Seán Bohan, Danny Grant, Oscar Brennan, Andy Lyons.
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork). THE TI ence in when r expecte United FAI Cu
Thre long jo compe months western
Unfo contras ond pr the Tom Maygla
And ble as a Junior C of four clearcu
Galw compa an Eoin by Con 4-0 inte
Nort keepin it was a created
Wha anothe McCab against squad
Alan for Dal injury, w Gary B
And the ven League