Under-17s held to a draw
U.C.D. WEXFORD F.C. 3 3
IT’S BEEN a difficult season for Wexford F.C. and their Under-17 squad, for a variety of reasons. But it’s hard to argue with them when they tell you they’ve earned far less points than they have deserved over the course of the season.
Sunday’s performance in the U.C.D. Bowl deserved a lot more than a point, as they kicked the high-flying students off the pitch from start to finish.
It helped that their front three looked as dangerous as they have all season. When they get it right, Brody Murphy, Robert Bulmer and Seán Smithers together can look unplayable.
The carpet-like pitch also seemed to suit Wexford, who moved the ball around better than they have all season.
Despite these things, they somehow found themselves trailing. Ciarán Behan latched onto a cross on U.C.D’s first threatening venture into the Wexford penalty area and his shot deflected off defender Dylan Whelan and into the top left corner.
Crucially, Wexford were soon on level terms. Murphy beat his man on the left wing and found Smithers who side-footed past Matthew Treanor for his long-awaited first goal in Wexford colours.
Less than a minute later Murphy almost made it two when he skipped past the U.C.D. ‘keeper, only for his heavy touch to take him off the pitch.
The Ferrycarrig boys took the lead two minutes after the re-start. Smithers robbed Paddy Farrelly at the heart of the students’ back line and placed through Treanor’s legs.
U.C.D. found a way back through Kevin Murphy’s shanked clearance, Darragh Nugent made no mistake as he punished Wexford’s defensive error.
Just like the see-saw match that it was, Wexford regained the lead within two minutes. Smithers delivered this time as Bulmer rose highest to nod the Slaneysiders back in front.
Unfortunately for the Wexford boys, there was to be one more twist, and a cruel one at that. After Ethan O’Neill and Levingston had spurned opportunities to finish off the Dubs, Harry McEvoy hit a speculative effort from distance in injury time and Seán Maher failed to make what should have been a comfortable save.
With further solid performances from Shane Gibson, Killian Griffin and Levingston, they will hope to bring this form, if not the outcome, into this weekend’s home game against Limerick.
Wexford F.C.: Seán Maher; Shane Gibson, Kevin Murphy, Dylan Whelan, Killian Griffin; Caellum Devlin-Travers, Luke Greene, Darragh Levingston (capt.), Brody Murphy, Seán Smithers; Robert Bulmer. Subs. - Ethan O’Neill for Devlin-Travers (72), Seán O’Brien-Murphy for Bulmer (85), Brian Byrne for Murphy (88), also Aaron Hall, James Dowling, Graham O’Reilly.