Town pushed hard
Depleted Albion made Ross work
WEXFORD ALBION, playing a man light for the whole game, pushed hosts New Ross Town all the way in Under-11 Division 1 of the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer League on Saturday.
When Seán Denton turned Eoin McCleane’s left wing corner to the Town net two minutes after the break, the visitors led 2-0 and the almost unthinkable was on the cards.
However, there was a sting in the New Ross tail.
Battling for a second place finish in the table, Town turned on the after-burners.
They upped the tempo considerably and eventually their quality of play and numerical advantage began to pay off in goals.
The Wexford town club have been struggling for numbers for their side which is a real pity, as with several quality players in their ranks they play some good football and with a few more bodies would surely have been challenging for the title.
Maybe expecting it a little easier against the six men, New Ross started slowly. It was Albion calling the shots with the superb defensive duo of Seán McCleane and Aaron O’Farrell rebuffing the Town attacks ahead of the reliable Fabio Balentini.
Ahead it was up to Jake Kelly, Seán Denton and Evan Donohue to work opportunities.
The pace and clever footwork of the trio continually caused problems, and it was only a mild surprise when Denton took on his marker and drilled a low shot to the Town net in the seventh minute.
Kelly was next to test Michael Hearne but the New Ross stopper was up to the challenge.
Finally, after 20 minutes the home side started to settle and create chances of their own.
Aaron O’Farrell cleared Kade Katus’ effort off the line before Jack Walsh drilled a pot-shot wide. Colm Kenneally’s long ball found Ben Long just before the interval but the Town hotshot was denied by Balentini.
Albion lost the ill Jake Kelly at the interval but were able to pluck Eoin McCleane from the sideline. He was only on the field two minutes when his corner from the left was diverted to the New Ross net by Denton.
From there New Ross Town responded. It took eight minutes and a brilliant Colm Kavanagh header from Ben Long’s cross, but finally the hosts were back in the game. A minute later Jack Walsh fired them level with a long-range rocket.
Despite a gallant Albion effort, the six men were tiring. Long gave Town the lead with ten minutes left, volleying home Walsh’s shot that was flying wide.
Striker Long grabbed his second from close range seven minutes later.
If the first two were classy finishes, Long’s hat-trick goal had an element of luck as Colm Kavanagh’s shot careered off his torso to the net. Denton rattled the crossbar with the last kick of the game for Albion, but it was Town who took the spoils after a cracking game of football.
New Ross Town: Michael Hearne; Colm Kavanagh (capt.), Colm Kenneally, Killian O’Neill-Dalton, Kade Katus, Jack Walsh; Ben Long. Subs. - Liam Kenneally for Long, inj. (14), Long for Kenneally (17), Kenneally for Long (49).
Wexford Albion: Fabio Balentini; Seán McCleane (capt.), Aaron O’Farrell; Jake Kelly, Seán Denton; Evan Donohue. Subs. - Eoin McCleane for Kelly, inj. (26).
Referee: Anthony Tobin. Under-11 Cup second round: Bridge Rovers B 4, Kilmore 3; Bridge Rovers A 3, St. Cormac’s 1. Under-11 Division 1: St. Joseph’s 3, Cloughbawn 8; Gorey Rangers 3, Forth Celtic 0; New Ross Town 5, Wexford Albion 2. Under-11 Division 1A: Wexford Celtic v. Duncannon (off); New Ross Celtic 7, Courtown Hibs 3; Gorey Celtic 1, North End 2. Under-11 Division 2: Caim United 4, Fastnet Rovers 4; Curracloe United 6, Rosslare Strand 0; Glynn Barntown 3, St. Leonards 1. Under-11 Division 2A: Fethard Rangers 0, Ballymurn Celtic 5; Tombrack United 2, Corach Ramblers 6; Ferns United 1, Bunclody 4; Oylegate United 1, Camolin Celtic 3. Under-11 Division 3: Forth Celtic B 1, Bree United 2; Ajax Athletic 0, Shelburne 8; Newpark United 5, New Ross Town B 4; Curracloe United B 0, Campile United 1. Under-11 Division 3A: Killenagh Wanderers v. Ballagh United (off). Under-11 Division 4: Rathnure v. AFC Legia (off); Glynn Barntown B v. Gorey Rangers B (off), Cushinstown v. Gorey Celtic B (off). Under-13 Cup second round: Gorey Celtic C v. Fastnet Rovers (off). Under-13 Division 1A: Fethard Rangers
SAT. MARCH 4 Under-10 Group A (all 10.00): Glynn Barntown White v. Curracloe United; Bridge Rovers v. North End United; Glynn Barntown Red v. Wexford Albion White; Wexford Albion Blue v. Wexford Celtic. Under-10 Group B (all 10.00): Wexford Bohs v. Kilmore United; All Blacks v. Adamstown; Taghmon United v. Rosslare Rangers; Forth Celtic Blue v. Rosslare Strand; Corach Ramblers v. Oylegate United. Under-10 Group C (all 10.00): New Ross Celtic v. St. Leonards; Cushinstown v. New Ross Town Red; Shelburne v. Campile United; Duncannon Yellow v. Duncannon Black; New Ross Town Blue v. Cloughbawn. Under-10 Group D (all 10.00): Enniscorthy Town v. Caim United; Bree United v. Shamrock Rovers; St. Cormac’s v. Moyne Rangers; Killenagh Wanderers v. Blackwater; Tombrack v. Ballymurn Celtic. Under-10 Group E (all 10.00): Ballagh United v. Bunclody; St. Joseph’s v. Camolin Celtic; Gorey Rangers Black v. Gorey Rangers Red; Ferns United v. Gorey Celtic. Under-12 Cup second round: Ballymurn Celtic v. Forth Celtic A (12.45, K. Dunne); Moyne Rangers v. Duncannon (11.30, M. Hogan). Under-12 Cup third round: Wexford Albion v. New Ross Town A (2.30, G. Jones); Oylegate v. Glynn Barntown A (2.00, P. Cashman); Bunclody v. Blackwater (11.30, K. Murphy), Curracloe United A v. New Ross Celtic A (11.30, H Morris); St. Joseph’s A v. Kilmore United (11.30, K. Farnyik); Shelburne United v. Cloughbawn (11.30, F. Sinnott). Under-12 Division 1A: Courtown Hibs v. North End (11.30, O. Morris); Duncannon v. All Blacks (11.30, J. Diskin); Wexford Celtic v. Gorey Celtic (11.30, D. Donovan). Under-12 Division 2: Caim Utd v. Shamrock Rovers (11.30, W. Murphy); Rosslare Rangers v. Fastnet Rovers (11.30, D. Kelly). Under-12 Division 2A: Adamstown v. Bunclody (1.30, G. Cleary); AFC Legia v. Camolin Celtic (11.30, L. Doyle); Ferns United v. Ballymurn Celtic (11.30, T. Kearney). 2, Bridge Rovers 0; Gorey Rangers 0, Duncannon 3. Under-13 Division 2: New Ross Town 4, Bunclody 0; Rosslare Rangers 1, St. Cormac’s 1. Under-13 Division 2A: Kilmore 1, Ferns United 1; Killenagh Wanderers 2, Shelburne 2. Under-13 Division 3: Gorey Celtic B 2, Corach Ramblers 1; Bree United v. Glynn Barntown (off). Under-13 Division 3A: St. Joseph’s B 1, Wexford Celtic B 5, Camolin Celtic 0, Shamrock Rovers 5. Under-15 Cup second round: Kilmore 0, Bree United 8. Under-15 Division 1: North End v. Forth Celtic (off); Gorey Rangers 3, Wexford Albion 0. Under-15 Division 1A: Blackwater v. Ballymurn Celtic (off); St. Joseph’s 1, Corach Ramblers 0; St. Leonards 1, Bridge Rovers 2. Under-15 Division 2: New Ross Celtic 4, Adamstown 0; St. Cormac’s 4, Glynn Barntown 1; Camolin Cel. 4, Duncannon 2. Under-15 Division 2A: Rathnure v. Gorey Celtic (off); Shelburne 4, Curracloe United 1; Enniscorthy Town 4, Forth Celtic B 0; Cloughbawn 6, Fastnet Rovers 2. Under-15 Division 3: Gorey Rangers B 1, St. Joseph’s B 0. Under-12 Division 3: New Ross Town B v. Cushinstown (11.30, P. O’Rourke); Curracloe United B v. Forth Celtic B (12.45, H. Morris). Under-12 Division 3A: New Ross Celtic B v. Gorey Rangers B (11.30, D. Egan); St. Joseph’s v. Gorey Celtic B (1.00, K. Farnyik). Under-12 Division 4: New Ross Town C v. St. Leonards (1.00, D. Jenkins); Campile United v. Stoney Rovers (1.00, J. Stafford); Taghmon United v. Rathnure United (1.00, L. Doyle). Under-14 Cup second round: Gorey Celtic A v. St. Leonards (1.00, M. Franklin); Adamstown v. Gorey Rangers (3.00, G. Cleary); Ballymurn Celtic v. Rosslare Strand (2.00, K. Dunne). Under-14 Division 1: North End v. Duncannon (11.30, M. Comiskey); Forth Celtic v. St. Cormac’s (1.00, M. Colfer). Under-14 Division 2: New Ross Celtic v. New Ross Town (1.00, J. Cleere); Corach Ramblers v. All Blacks (11.30, E. Molloy). Under-14 Division 2A: Ferns United v. Glynn Barntown (1.00, J. O’Neill); Shamrock Rovers v. Kilmore United (1.00, S. Hadley). Under-14 Division 3: Tombrack v. Gorey Rangers B (11.30, P. Redmond); Gorey Celtic B v. Wexford Celtic B (11.30, M. Franklin). Under-16 Cup second round: Wexford Celtic v. St. Cormac’s (1.00, D. Gaul); Moyne Rangers v. Gorey Rangers (1.15, M. Hogan). Under-16 Division 1: Ferns United v. Wexford Albion (2.15, M. Kenny); North End v. Forth Celtic (1.00, M. Comiskey). Under-16 Division 2: Camolin Celtic v. Campile United (1.00, J. Doyle). Under-16 Division 3: New Ross Celtic v. Forth Celtic B (2.15, A. Tobin); Cloughbawn v. Rathnure (11.30, B. Holohan); Bree United v. Kilmore United (11.30, A. Foley). Under-16 Division 4: Bridge Rovers v. New Ross Town (11.30, S. Burke); Enniscorthy United v. Gorey Celtic (11.30, S. Vardy); Curracloe United v. Corach Ramblers (2.15, J. Kelly).