New manager’s bright start
Brace of goals in last 20 minutes seal points for women
A NEW season, with new ideas, new management and a few new faces kicked-off as well as could be expected for Wexford Youths in the Continental Tyres Women’s National League at Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
Goals in the last 20 minutes from Claire O’Riordan and Emma Hansberry proved to be enough for the hosts, who had to withstand a ferocious start from a Galway side still smarting from their opening day defeat to UCD Waves.
Into the managerial hotseat stepped Laura Heffernan this off-season, and the Wexford native wasted no time in stamping her mark on the team. Switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation was long overdue but certainly not as drastic as some of her positional alterations.
There was nothing particularly strange about Sophie Lenehan starting in goal or Nicola Sinnott and Orlaith Conlon at centre-back. However, Heffernan opted for two converted wingers, the experienced Linda Douglas and newcomer Jenny O’Keeffe, to solve the problem of a lack of speed at full-back.
While Douglas, in particular, is no stranger to the deeper position, teething problems, especially positionally, are a given with such a transition. That said, Youths management couldn’t have asked for much more out of the duo, as they both put in a serious shift.
A few eyebrows may have been raised at Jess Gleeson’s position, holding with Rachel Hutchinson in the centre of midfield. It’s certainly a work in progress, and it will be interesting to see how they gel, with a real test for the duo lying ahead in the form of reigning champions Shelbourne this weekend.
With Aoibhín Webb and Emma Hansberry either side of Kylie Murphy in the three, Wexford were narrow by design in the opening half. The plan of width from deep never did materialise simply because Galway caught Wexford cold with their high press, fast tempo gameplan.
Up front Claire O’Riordan was her typical self. Before the goal she probably created the best chance herself, simply because of her own strength and determination, and it was no surprise when the Limerick native popped up to open the scoring.
That goal seemed a fair way off as Galway came thundering out of the blocks, clearly focusing on the fact that Wexford were playing their first game of the season and might fancy a few minutes to find their feet.
The visitors deserve a lot of credit for that approach, considering they haven’t always come to Wexford looking to take the game to the hosts. It did unsettle Youths. They made multiple forced errors, and several unforced, but fortunately for the home side none proved fatal.
Within five minutes the Galway start almost paid dividends when Lynsey McKey slipped in Aisling Meaney, but Jenny O’Keeffe showed her first glimpse of promise by nipping in to clear away the danger.
The thing about the westerners’ start was that, while they were energetic and probing, Sophie Lenehan had very little to do between the sticks. In fact, it was at the other end that Tina Hughes had to be alert to cut out Emma Hansberry’s wicked low cross.
Two minutes later the Galway stopper was called into action for a second time, saving comfortably from Hansberry again, after O’Riordan’s cross found her lurking on the far edge of the penalty area.
Galway’s first shot in anger came in the 19th minute when Méabh de Burca tapped a free-kick to McKey but her 30-yard strike flew well wide. Ireland Under-17 international Sadhbh Doyle then missed the target with a pot-shot from the edge of the area.
In the 23rd minute Douglas threw long to Webb who crossed to her captain Murphy. She off-loaded to O’Riordan for a shot that screwed wide. Webb blazed a half-volley off target from the right side of the penalty area shortly after.
Galway’s best chances came in quick succession, just after the half-hour mark. When Doyle nodded a right wing cross back into Meaney’s path, she looked certain to score before Nicola Sinnott sensationally nipped in to tackle.
They had an even better opportunity moments later when McKey’s right wing free-kick fell to Doyle completely unmarked in the box. It came at her quickly and her volley wasn’t caught sweetly. It flew wide right, much to Wexford’s relief.
Youths didn’t dwell on the near misses and quickly responded at the other end. Hansberry sent Murphy away, and she squared to a surprisingly open O’Riordan but her shot was a little close to the ‘keeper and Galway survived.
Goal-less at the break, the visitors threatened again within two minutes of the restart. Doyle dinked McKey into the clear but the attacking midfielder sliced her powerful punt well wide of Lenehan’s goal.
Hutchinson had a long-range daisy-trimmer that screwed wide but the pattern of the game remained the same until Heffernan pulled her joker from the bench. Really, any one of several players could have made way for Frawley, and the pacey winger was destined to make an impact.
However, she wasn’t involved in the move, in the 63rd minute, that almost broke the deadlock. Tina Hughes, struggling with injury, kicked straight to Murphy, and she speculatively headed on to O’Riordan who looked to have forced her way through. However, she delayed a millisecond, just enough to see her shot deflected behind.
The resulting corner, and the one that followed from the right wing, really didn’t test a goalkeeper who could barely move. Instead, both seemed rehearsed, probably also overhit, to the back post where Jess Gleeson headed both well wide.
Hansberry actually won the second of those corners, whipping in a devilish cross-cum-shot that Hughes barely kept out. However, the Galway stopper was rooted to her line when Hansberry nailed the inswinging delivery from the left in the 73rd minute and O’Riordan sent her bullet header high to the net.
Wexford almost added a second three minutes later when Hansberry released Frawley down the left. She cut inside the defender and speared a rocked across the face of goal and onto the crossbar.
In the 79th minute Frawley was involved again, playing a one-two with Murphy before crossing. O’Riordan missed her kick, only slightly deflecting the ball perfectly from Hansberry arriving at the back post to nail a left-foot strike low and across Hughes to the net.
Galway had one last good chance to pull a goal back when de Burca’s ball found its way to McKey at the back post, but it wasn’t to be for the visitors as the midfielder smacked her shot wide once again.
The only moment of note for Wexford in the last ten minutes was the introduction, for her competitive debut, of local recruit Siobhán Doolan.
Next up for Youths is a home shield game against Shelbourne. It really is the perfect fixture, a real test against a quality team in the least important competition. Laura Heffernan will certainly know a lot more about her team by 9.30 p.m. next Saturday.
Wexford Youths: Sophie Lenehan; Linda Douglas, Nicola Sinnott, Orlaith Conlon, Jenny O’Keeffe; Rachel Hutchinson, Jess Gleeson; Aoibhín Webb, Kylie Murphy (capt.), Emma Hansberry; Claire O’Riordan. Subs. - Aisling Frawley for Webb (55), Becky Cassin for Hutchinson (81), Siobhán Doolan for Hansberry (86), also Tamara Furlong, Orla Casey, Amy Walsh, Ally O’Keeffe.
Galway WFC: Tina Hughes; Aoife Walsh, Shauna Fox, Alina Cheatham, Megan Carroll; Méabh De Burca (capt.); Tessa Mullins, Sadhbh Doyle, Lisa Casserly, Lynsey McKey; Aisling Meaney. Subs. - Therese Hartley for Cheatham (60), Jenny Chambers for Meaney (76), Aoife Brennan for Mullins (83), also Louise Craven, Rachel Baynes, Gráinne Barrett.
Referee: Brian Fenlon.