Ouths for the third time
25 - WEXFORD YOUTHS V DUNDALK another win over Wexford by one-goal margin
about getting stuck in, and Dundalk didn’t appreciate it.
It started with a yellow for Shane Dunne after a tackle on John Mountney, with defenders Brian Gartland and Andy Boyle both racing to the scene in a complete over-reaction. Nonetheless, Stephen Last quickly followed with a booking after taking down Ronan Finn just outside the box, and Graham Doyle made a good save from Robbie Benson before fisting the rebound clear.
It was a frenetic period, and Youths were reduced to ten men in the 59th minute when Peter Higgins thundered in on Seán Gannon and collected an inevitable second yellow.
It made a tough task nigh on impossible, with Aidan Friel blocking a shot from Benson before Eric Molloy replaced Conor O’Keeffe.
Last intercepted Benson’s through ball to McMillan for a throw before Ronan Finn headed over from a Seán Gannon cross in the 66th minute.
Gannon then won a corner off Andy Mulligan but Darren Meenan’s delivery was poor. Graham Doyle made an easy save from a longrange effort from substitute Patrick McEleney, while he had more to do when dealing with a shot from Finn before Lee Grace conceded a corner in the follow-up.
Aidan Keenan cleared the danger before Grace was equal to the task again when Finn tried a back heel from a Darren Meenan cross. Doyle saved easily again from McEleney, while Shane Dunne forced the sole Youths corner of the game in the 77th minute but Jonny Bonner’s delivery was headed clear by Shane Grimes.
Young Eoin Porter came on to support Aidan Keenan up front as Youths went for broke with three at the back, and his incessant running ensured that the Dundalk backs didn’t have it as easy for the remainder of the half.
The second of two throws in quick succession by Craig McCabe left the home side exposed on a breakway, but Lee Grace maintained his excellence with a very good challenge on David McMillan.
Seán Gannon was booked for a foul on Aidan Keenan, but Jonny Bonner’s delivery was too long for Eric Molloy. Bonner then gave the ball away and collected a yellow card in his efforts to retrieve it from Shane Grimes, while two late Dundalk corners proved fruitless before the visitors finally signed off on a very busy week with a welcome return to winning ways in the league.
Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle (capt.); Craig McCabe, Lee Grace, Stephen Last, Aidan Friel; Conor O’Keeffe, Peter Higgins, Jonny Bonner, Andy Mulligan; Shane Dunne, Aidan Keenan. Subs. - Eric Molloy for O’Keeffe (63), Eoin Porter for Friel (80), also Conor Whittle, Andrew O’Connor, Conor Sutton, Corey Chambers.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Seán Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Shane Grimes; John Mountney, Ronan Finn, Stephen O’Donnell (capt.), Robbie Benson, Darren Meenan; David McMillan. Subs. - Patrick McEleney for Benson (68), Dean Shiels for Mountney (73), Chris Shields for Meenan (88), also Gabriel Sava, Paddy Barrett, George Poynton, Ciarán O’Connor. Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin). PREMIER DIVISION TABLE
P W D L F A Pt Dundalk 21 16 1 4 48 14 49 Cork City 21 13 6 2 34 10 45 Derry City 24 12 8 4 35 20 44 Shamrock R 22 13 3 6 34 19 42 Sligo Rovers 24 10 7 7 32 28 37 St. Pat’s Ath 23 10 3 10 29 27 33 Bohemians 24 9 5 10 23 26 32 Galway Utd 23 8 6 9 29 28 30 Bray Wand 23 6 6 11 19 29 24 Finn Harps 23 6 5 12 17 38 23 Wex Youths 25 5 3 17 24 48 18 Longford T 25 1 7 17 20 57 10