Wexford reach final four
Slaneysiders face Clare in semi-final after beating A.U.L.
A FINAL four meeting against holders Clare awaits the Wexford Football League after they impressively overcame the challenge of the A.U.L. in the Oscar Traynor Trophy semi-final at a sunny Ferrycarrig Park on Sunday.
A first-half double from Paul Murphy put the hosts in the driving seat, and his North End United team-mate Adam Beary sealed the deal with the third goal with ten minutes remaining.
The Sky Blues duo may have taken the plaudits for their goalscoring exploits, but Gareth McCurtin and Decky Downes were immense at the heart of the defence, while full-back Warren Broaders got through Trojan work on the right flank.
In fact, every player on the Wexford team deserves great credit for the way they gave everything for the cause, particularly in the second-half as they kept their shape and discipline when a highly-rated A.U.L. were probing to try to force their way back into the game.
After impressing in the top flight in the League of Ireland last season, Paul Murphy would be a welcome addition to any Junior side and he certainly showed just what a potent attacking threat he is again on Sunday.
He fired a warning shot on twelve minutes when his audacious 25-yard strike clipped the top of the crossbar with goalkeeper Jason Morgan beaten, and the A.U.L. netminder was picking the ball out of his net five minutes later when Murphy illustrated his predator’s instinct.
Eugene O’Brien saw his effort come back off the post after the ball found its way to his feet following a Shane Dempsey corner, and Murphy was quickest to react to slot it home.
Murphy turned provider on 25 minutes when he fizzed in a corner from the right, but Gareth McCurtin’s header drifted wide of the left upright.
Wexford doubled their advantage on the half-hour mark and it came from out of the blue. Lee Walker’s kick-out was helped into the danger zone by a hopeful volleyed punt forward from midfielder Shane Dempsey, and when the inrushing Adam Beary was pushed in the back referee Tristan Eardley had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, despite the protestations of the A.U.L. contingent.
Paul Murphy stepped up to take the spot-kick and showed nerves of steel to confidently tuck the ball away into the right-hand corner of the net.
The superb home defence left the A.U.L. attackers feeding off scraps, and when they did breach the back line on 41 minutes goalkeeper Lee Walker was in no mood to be beaten, acrobatically diving to his right to claw away a Stephen Donnelly strike.
The visitors created another opportunity in injury time at the end of the first-half, but Stuart Glen failed to get a firm connection on his header after David Jackson had whipped in a cross from the right.
Just before the hour mark Stephen Donnelly glanced a header wide after another good delivery from Jackson, and in the 67th minute Wexford went close to putting the game to bed.
Paul Murphy played in his North End clubmate and fellow ex-Wexford Youths man Shane Dempsey, and the midfielder tried to pick his spot inside the right post, but Morgan got a hand to it to tip it out for a corner.
Two minutes later Murphy had a hattrick in his sights but the goalkeeper did well to thwart his left-footed effort.
With 72 minutes on the clock the A.U.L. had a rare sight of goal when Paul McMillan fired wide following a David Jackson corner, and moments later Jackson curled a free-kick off target.
Wexford grabbed the insurance goal in the 81st minute when Kyle Dempsey got to the byline and whipped in a fabulous cross, which Adam Beary headed to the back of the net.
Paul Murphy twice went close to completing his hat-trick late on but he will be happy with his afternoon’s work, as will his Wexford team-mates.
After a solid display, John Godkin’s men will go into their semi-final meeting with Clare at Ferrycarrig Park with no shortage of confidence.
Limerick face the Inishowen League in the other last four clash and the winner of that tie will have the honour of hosting the final. WEXFORD FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Lee Walker, Warren Broaders, Decky Downes, Gareth McCurtin (capt.), Dale Flynn, Shane Dempsey, Lee Wadding, John Peare, Eugene O’Brien, Paul Murphy, Adam Beary. Subs. - Ryan Mahon for Dale Flynn, inj. (half-time), Kyle Dempsey for O’Brien (73), Leighton Gleeson for Wadding (76), Eoin Rhodes for Peare (81), Colin O’Brien for Beary (83), also Gary McClean, Ian Sinnott, James Peare, Glen Hughes, Aaron Kehoe. A.U.L. DUBLIN: Jason Morgan, Paul McMillan, Anto Corcoran, Darren Murphy (capt.), Jeff Flood, Dean Gibbons. David Jackson, Jordan Buckley, Stuart Glen, Stephen Donnelly, Karl Young. Subs. - Robbie Monaghan for Glen (64), Gary Burke for Young (67), Adam Byrne for Murphy (81), also Calvin Douglas, Dean Byrne, Peter Hopkins, Earnest Emotovic. REFEREE: Tristan Eardley. Assistant referees: Jim Bowes and Patrick Geoghegan (all Kilkenny).