Wexford knock out holders
Women stay well on course for a possible four titles
WEXFORD YOUTHS 4 CORK CITY 0
WEXFORD YOUTHS remained on course for a potential domestic quadruple with victory over Cork City in the Continental Tyres FAI Women’s Senior Cup quarter-final in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
Barring five minutes in the middle of the second-half, Tom Elmes’ side were able to control the game, play it at their own pace and eventually the goals came.
Apart from the obvious importance of the competition, and the chance to play in another showpiece final at the Aviva, this game was vital for a couple of other reasons.
It gave the Wexford boss the chance to start three players who were overlooked when something special was needed in the league loss to Shelbourne.
If the team selection in the following shield game was more down to necessity, there were options available here.
Youths simply can’t get through this daunting run-in with just eleven players contributing, that is not a route Wexford can take to success.
It’s absolutely vital that those three, McKenna Davidson, Orla Casey and Becky Cassin, are all kept in the loop and continue to get important minutes.
It was also a big night for Sophie Lenehan. With Ciamh Dollard unavailable, the Wexford ‘keeper was back between the sticks for the first time since that Shelbourne game, determined to show her true quality.
More importantly, Lenehan looked different. She was more composed, her body language was excellent, and to top it off her performance was close to perfect. In fact, in wretched conditions she outshone Ireland’s newest Senior international in goal at the other end.
The Wexford ‘ keeper wasn’t overly troubled in the first-half.
The hosts took their time to adapt to conditions and only created their first half-chance in the 15th minute when Kylie Murphy headed Emma Hansberry’s freekick over the bar.
Youths probably should have hit the front a minute later.
Rianna Jarrett fed wide to Aisling Frawley on the right, and the Wexford winger crossed to the back post where McKenna Davidson diverted the ball onto the crossbar from three yards out.
Lenehan smothered a tricky Noonan free-kick to set the tone for the evening as the first quarter moved to a close.
Murphy, who had an excellent game in midfield, slipped Jarrett into the clear but her shot was blocked by Amanda Budden and Casey’s follow-up was hooked away.
Murphy picked out Jarrett again in the 27th minute but her rocket was parried to safety by Budden.
Davidson fed across the edge of the area in the 39th minute, Casey missed the connection and the ball found its way to Frawley. The winger pulled back to Murphy but her shot skipped wide.
Defending cup champions Cork came to Wexford with a plan, to sit back and frustrate and hope Saoirse Noonan made something from nothing.
Part of that strategy was to sit Savannah McCarthy in the heart of the defence and while it solidified their back four, it cost them hugely in the middle third.
The visitors did win a corner on the right in the 42nd minute that Maggie Duncliffe pulled back for Hannah O’Donoghue to fire over. Noonan lashed wildly wide from the edge of the box on half-time as the sides went in soaked and scoreless.
The patient probing continued into the second-half, and in the 61st minute Wexford got their breakthrough.
Frawley picked up the ball from Murphy on the right, whipped it in low to Jarrett and she controlled ahead of Ciara McNamara, swivelled and fired past Budden.
After a period of settling, Cork reshuffled and switched to a more offensive strategy.
It caught Wexford cold for a few minutes and the Leesiders created a couple of decent chances.
Stretching to the full, Lenehan grazed Noonan’s rocket from just outside the box as it cracked the bar.
The Wexford stopper flung herself to her right to keep Maggie Duncliffe’s drive out a minute later and watched on as Katie McCarthy headed over.
After weathering the mini-storm, Wexford wrapped up the win with their second in the 78th minute.
It nearly wasn’t a goal. With the linesperson holding her flag up for Jarrett who was offside but not interfering with play, referee Michelle O’Neill didn’t panic and allowed play to continue.
Edel Kennedy ran in and forced Budden to parry into the path of Katrina Parrock.
The Wexford substitute tapped in the rebound and, after consulting with her assistant, O’Neill correctly allowed the goal to stand. It was the highlight of easily one of the best refereeing performances in Ferrycarrig Park this season.
Jarrett poked wide from Parrock’s cross in the 84th minute before Doireann Fahey sent a tantalising ball across the six-yard box that Nathalie O’Brien poked out for a corner.
Youths did add their third in the 87th minute when Hansberry nonchalantly flicked Jarrett away before she pulled back for Kennedy to net.
Cork looked a beaten and wrecked side by this stage and Youths wrapped up a place in the semi-finals along with Shelbourne, Peamount and U.C.D. Waves when Parrock turned in Jarrett’s low cross two minutes into stoppage time.
Youths face Peamount in the League Cup final at Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday (4 p.m. kick-off) before welcoming the same opposition back to Wexford for a critical league game just seven days later.
Wexford Youths: Sophie Lenehan; Nicola Sinnott, Lauren Dwyer, Orlaith Conlon, Becky Cassin; Kylie Murphy (capt.), Emma Hansberry; Aisling Frawley, Orla Casey, McKenna Davidson; Rianna Jarrett. Subs. - Katrina Parrock for Frawley (65), Edel Kennedy for Casey (65), Doireann Fahey for Davidson (80), also Ciara Delaney, Cliodhna Ní Shé, Rachel Hutchinson, Aoife Slattery.
Cork City: Amanda Budden; Danielle Burke, Ciara McNamara (capt.), Savannah McCarthy, Nathalie O’Brien; Kate O’Donovan, Maggie Duncliffe; Eadaoin Lyons, Katie McCarthy, Hannah O’Donoghue; Saoirse Noonan. Subs. - Christina Dring for Lyons (80), Meghan Sheehan for O’Donoghue (85), Riona Crowley for O’Donovan (87), also Maria O’Sullivan.
Referee: Michelle O’Neill (Wexford).