Wretched start for Wexford
Difficult campaign on cards for new manager Carty
MONAGHAN WEXFORD
WEXFORD GOT their Lidl Ladies’ National Football League Division 2 campaign off to a wretched start with a pasting at the hands of Monaghan in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday.
The cards were stacked against the Slaneysiders so there was very little surprise at the manner of the defeat. Nonetheless, a 29-point loss is ugly whatever the excuses, and this league campaign looks set to be a difficult one for new manager Paul Carty’s side.
Just five of the starting team in this game lined out in the first 15 when Wexford crashed out of the championship at the hands of Meath last August. They will expect to have Bernie Breen, Kellie Kearney and Clara Donnelly back in due course, but otherwise there will be a lot of new faces.
Gone are long servants to Wexford ladies’ football in Mary Rose Kelly, Fiona Rochford and Marica Cullen, while Maria Byrne, Niamh Mernagh, Niamh Moore and Ellen O’Brien are not currently involved in the set-up.
Ordinarily that’s an awful lot of change, and any new manager would need time to get girls up to speed.
However, the process hasn’t been helped by the lack of time Carty has had with the squad so far, leaving Wexford behind the eight ball in their bid to maintain their Division 2 status.
Arguably the saving grace is that Wexford are getting some of the tougher sides out of the way early, with Monaghan and Kerry (next week’s opposition) likely to be serious contenders for this title.
Two wins might just be enough to keep Wexford in the division so, no matter what happens as this side gets used to playing together, the last two games against Clare and Meath already look to be critically important.
It’s hard to consider it a positive, given the result, but at least the new faces know exactly how big a jump up inter-county play is.
Leanne Delaney started in goal and did pretty well overall, while Niamh O’Gorman was put in the firing line at full-back and that did her no favours against such a classy opponent with runners coming at her from everywhere.
Grace Cloney was arguably the pick of the newbies at corner-back, while Anne Byrne and Ciara Bridges worked hard in the half-forward line.
Eleanor Neville and Caitríona Murray returned to the squad, missing last year having previously been involved under Anthony Masterson.
Amy Wilson is going to have to be a big player for Wexford this season if they are to achieve anything, and it was her bursting run and finish, after a one-two with promising returning youngster Ailis Neville, that actually gave the home side a 1-0 to nil lead in the opening minute.
From there it went downhill in a hurry. With just eleven minutes on the clock the visitors led by 4-4 to 1-0 after goals from Muireann Atkinson, Casey Treanor and a brace from the powerful Ellen McCarron.
Wexford did manage to slow their momentum as the half wore on, and Murray twice converted frees after Wilson was fouled to make it 4-7 to 1-2 after 21 minutes.
Monaghan did tack on another 1-5 before the break, despite being down to 14 after the sin-binning of Laura McEnaney.
Monaghan scored the first four points of the second-half but Wexford did chip away with three in a row between the 41st minute and the end of the third quarter.
Niamh Butler was fouled for the first that Murray converted, and she added another after Byrne was fouled.
Eleanor Neville was impeded, allowing Amy Wilson to knock over the dead-ball from distance, but the purple patch didn’t last.
Delaney had earlier saved from McCarron and Ailis Neville blocked a goalbound shot from Cora Courtney, but there was no stopping McCarron’s hat-trick major in the 47th minute.
It was 6-19 to 1-5 when Lauren Murphy, only off the bench a few minutes, set up Wilson for another point.
Monaghan kept tacking on the points but Wexford did have the final say with a Murray major, netted after a short free-kick one-two with Aisling Murphy.
Wexford host Kerry this weekend before travelling to Cavan seven days later.
A home game against Armagh follows two weeks after that. The final three games of the group stages, against Tyrone, Clare and
Meath, all take place in March.
Wexford: Leanne Delaney; Grace Cloney, Niamh O’Gorman, Aoife Tormey; Eleanor Neville, Shauna Murphy, Sarah Harding-Kenny; Niamh Butler (capt.), Aisling Murphy; Ciara Bridges, Amy Wilson (1-2, 0-1 free), Anne Byrne; Katie White, Caitríona Murray (1-4, 0-3 frees), Ailis Neville. Subs. - Sherene Hamilton for Byrne (45), Lorraine Sludds for Delaney (45), Lauren Murphy for White (49).
Monaghan: Edel Corrigan; Gráinne McNally, Sarah Boyd, Aoife McAnespie; Chloe McBride (0-1), Laura McEnaney, Maeve Monaghan; Eimear McAnespie (0-1), Abbie McCarey (0-1); Shauna Coyle (0-5), Ellen McCarron (3-6, 0-2 frees), Therese Scott; Cora Courtney (capt., 1-2), Muireann Atkinson (1-3), Casey Treanor (1-0). Subs. - Niamh Kerr for Monaghan (31), Louise Kerley (0-3, 1 free) for Treanor (31), Aisling McAnespie (0-1) for Scott (31), Lauren Garland for McBride (46), Noeleen McGuirk for Corrigan (49), Amy Garland for Courtney (59).
Referee: Niall McCormack (Laois).