No respite after fourth loss
Just two points from possible 18 as Wexford lose again
SHELBOURNE WEXFORD F.C. 2 0
A MISSED penalty provided a major turning point in Tolka Park on Friday the dismal start of Wexford F.C. to the SSE Airtricity First Division campaign continued with a fourth defeat from six outings.
Shelbourne had dominated from the off and were full value for their 1-0 interval lead, but it looked like the visitors were thrown a lifeline in the 59th minute when Lee Duffy went down to the left of goal under minimal contact from Dayle Rooney and referee John McLoughlin pointed to the penalty spot.
Duffy was eager to take it himself, but full-back Andrew O’Connor got the nod from manager Damian Locke which was understandable given that he tucked away two penalties in a 4-2 Leinster Senior Cup defeat to the Reds at the same venue in February.
However, while those kicks were directed to either side of netminder and captain Dean Delany, this time he opted to go straight down the middle. While the shot had power it was parried quite comfortably by Delany who was injured in the subsequent scramble as full-back Adam O’Connor hacked the ball out for a corner.
That was Wexford’s big chance to get back into contention but, instead of going in a positive direction, the game veered back towards Shelbourne dominance and they made doubly sure of the points with their second goal in the 74th minute.
Dayle Rooney made a run on the left and then managed to dig the ball from under his feet to deliver a pass to the wing to Adam Evans who offered a constant threat throughout.
Rooney continued his run and when Evans crossed to the near post, he cushioned a neat header to the far corner out of reach of Corey Chambers who had replaced the injured Graham Doyle in the 17th minute.
Indeed, this was the longest period that the Ferrycarrig Park crew had played a league match without the Kilkenny veteran between the posts since he made his debut on day one of the 2012 season.
Prior to Friday the only action he had missed out on was the second-half away to Sligo Rovers late last season when another injury led to a first appearance at that level for Chambers.
The starting eleven showed three changes from the deserved home draw with U.C.D. which was without question the best display of a poor season thus far.
Owen McCormack, Eoin Porter and Liam Donnelly came in for Ricky Fox, Seán Hurley and Adam Hanlon respectively, with vice-captain Craig McCabe moved from centre-half to right-back with a view to keeping tabs on the elusive Adam Evans.
And this Shels crowd favourite could have opened their account with just over one minute gone after Mark Hughes cleared down the left flank for Dayle Rooney who delivered a low cross to the near post. Evans arrived at pace but his connection on the ball wasn’t strong and it drifted across the face of goal and wide.
It was a clear warning of what Shelbourne were capable of, although Evans didn’t test Graham Doyle with a weak shot in the fifth minute.
A foul on Thomas Croke by Reece McEnteer gave Andrew O’Connor the opportunity to floating the ball into the box where it went off the head of James English for a corner on the left, the first of five for Wexford while their rivals had nine.
Shane Dunne’s delivery was headed clear by McEnteer, but the midfielder caused home fans’ hearts to skip a beat in the eleventh minute when his long-range thunderbolt flew narrowly wide to the left of the post with netminder Dean Delany rooted to the spot, after a good interception by Eoin Porter.
A foul by McCabe on Evans led to a free-kick from Dayle Rooney which was headed wide at the back post by ex-Bohemians stalwart Derek Prendergast who formed one half of a very experienced central defensive duo with the much-travelled Alan Byrne.
Graham Doyle was injured stretching for that cross and had to depart the scene less than five minutes later, with an uncharacteristically poor kick-out in between highlighting his difficulties.
McCabe made a good tackle on Evans to deny him another opening, while Ross Kenny did likewise on James English after that error by Doyle.
English - who hit a hat-trick in that Leinster Senior Cup tie - should have opened the scoring in the 19th minute after a flowing move saw Dayle Rooney release Evans whose first-time cross struck the centre-forward and went wide, with new goalkeeper Corey Chambers caught in no man’s land.
The first of four corners in the opening half for Shels saw Wexford live a charmed existence too, with Andrew O’Connor clearing Alan Byrne’s header off the line in the 25th minute.
Derek Prendergast headed another corner over the bar as the relentless pressure continued, although Liam Donnelly did manage to get a shot away which didn’t test Delany on a rare breakaway.
Shane Dunne tried to find Lee Duffy with a long ball, but the netminder headed it clear before an accidental collision with the striker left him in need of attention.
James English just missed getting a touch on an Adam O’Connor cross from the right, a rare diversion to the norm as most of the pressure exerted by Shels had emanated from the left.
And the breakthrough that seemed inevitable finally arrived in the 42nd minute. Lorcan Shannon had a shot blocked for a corner after a long throw by Reece McEnteer was knocked into his path.
Dayle Rooney swung it in from the right, and Derek Prendergast made no mistake this time with a meaty header at the near post.
While Shelbourne couldn’t make the most of a fourth corner before the interval, they were very much in the driving seat at the change of ends.
Lee Duffy didn’t worry Delany with a long-range effort 90 seconds into the new half, but Adam Evans went a lot closer for Shels after Mark Hughes controlled a cross from the right by Rooney and placed it into his path in the 49th minute.
The home side wasted their first corner of the second period before Seán Hurley came on for Liam Donnelly, initially featuring on the left wing with Eoin Porter moving to the right although they switched flanks at a later stage.
The best chance for an equaliser arose after Lee Duffy won a corner off Lorcan Shannon and it was played short to him by Shane Dunne who then got the return pass. He slipped the ball back to Duffy who was heading towards the byline to the left of goal when Dayle Rooney challenged and a dubious enough penalty was the outcome.
And after that golden opportunity was squandered by Andrew O’Connor, it was nigh on impossible to see Wexford getting anything from this trip to Dublin.
The usual tactic when they’re chasing the game - introducing a second attacker - was deployed again in the 68th minute when Craig Hayes came on for Craig Wall.
Three corners, one for Wexford and two for Shelbourne, didn’t result in any clearcut chances before that clever inter-action between Dayle Rooney and Adam Evans led to the second goal which ensured that Owen Heary’s side would win at home in the league for the first time this season, after earlier draws with Longford Town and Waterford United respectively.
Thomas Croke was the first man booked in the 80th minute and then drove the rebound over the bar after Lee Duffy struck a free-kick into the four-man wall.
Referee John McLoughlin flashed yellows to Craig McCabe and James English after a long consultation with one of his linesman when a pushing match threatened to escalate in the Wexford box as Shelbourne prepared to take a free-kick.
The locals almost made it three in the 88th minute when English flicked the ball into the path of full-back Adam O’Connor who arrived at pace and saw his shot turned around the post for a fruitless corner.
Shels substitute Aaron Ashe was the last man booked before Lee Duffy was denied a late opening for a consolation goal when Alan Byrne got a vital touch on a Craig Hayes cross to nick the ball away from him.
It is likely that a much-changed Wexford side will line out for the EA Sports Cup first round game at home to Waterford tonight (Tuesday) at 8 p.m.
However, they will need the strongest possible eleven on the field in Ferrycarrig Park on the same time Friday when Longford Town visit for a must-win encounter.
With just two points so far from a possible 18, it’s not a case that things can only get better; it’s simply a fact that they must as Wexford are already in danger of being cut adrift from the rest and having a disastrous season.
Wexford F.C.: Graham Doyle (capt.); Craig McCabe, Owen McCormack, Ross Kenny, Andrew O’Connor; Liam Donnelly, Craig Wall, Shane Dunne, Thomas Croke, Eoin Porter; Lee Duffy. Subs. - Corey Chambers for Doyle, inj. (17), Seán Hurley for Donnelly (57), Craig Hayes for Wall (68), also Ricky Fox, Conor Sutton, Seán Eve, John McKeown.
Shelbourne: Dean Delany (capt.); Adam O’Connor, Derek Prendergast, Alan Byrne, Reece McEnteer; Lorcan Shannon, James O’Brien, Mark Hughes, Dayle Rooney; Adam Evans; James English. Subs. - Aaron Ashe for Shannon (67), Chris Lyons for Rooney (90), also Jamie Quinn, Jackson Ryan, Dylan Grimes, Jack Tuite, James Brown.
Referee: John McLoughlin (Roscommon).