WEXFORD FOOTBALL LEAGUE IT’S GLORY FOR GOREY
SOCCER Rangers beat Moyne to win Youth Premier Division title
GOREY RANGERS wrapped up the Wexford Football League Youth Premier Division title with victory against a battling Moyne Rangers side in Enniscorthy on Friday.
Going into the clash, the visitors knew only a win would secure the silverware with two games still remaining. They took an early lead through Cillian Gilligan but played with plenty of nerves for a long time thereafter as their hosts gave it a real go.
In the end Ethan Vickers’ goal in the 73rd minute broke Moyne’s brave resistance and Gorey wrapped up the title with a second classy Gilligan finish from close range two minutes later.
Gorey seemed to be on their way to a comfortable evening when they took their early lead. Gilligan was able to outpace the Moyne defence, after good work in midfield by Rory Heffernan, and calmly slot low past Jack Doyle.
They continued on the front foot and went close again when Gilligan flashed over after controlling a weak Vickers shot. Then the lively goalscorer saw his shot deflected and saved by Doyle in the tenth minute.
Yet slowly Moyne settled. They played with superb energy and belief, considering they are rooted to the bottom of the table. Rob Clifford latched onto a long ball, cut in, shot and brought a fine save out of Darragh Brooks.
Cian Larkin rose highest to meet two corners but saw the first cleared off the line and the second whiz away from the target.
In the 28th minute Evan Foley’s looping, deflected effort had Brooks scrambling but the ball bounced a foot wide of the post.
Gorey had one last chance before the break, when Dillon Dixon’s corner was helped on by Conor McDermott and turned towards goal by Gilligan. However, Larkin was in the right place at the right time to block the goal-bound effort.
The interval gave the soon-to-be champions a chance to re-group. They had a couple of half-chances before Dixon and Gilligan played an intricate one-two on the edge of the area to break behind the defence, only for Dixon to flash over.
Still, at the other end Moyne’s bursts forward were becoming less threatening. Meanwhile, the unorthodox Jack Doyle made two superb saves from Gilligan and Dylan Fleming. Eventually, Moyne’s resistance was going to give.
Sure enough, in the 73rd minute, Dixon’s deep ball looped off Jordan Redmond to Vickers and he made no mistake with his swiped half-volley past Doyle.
Just two minutes later the game and title were wrapped up.
Some dainty skills from Jordan Kennedy on the right wing got him into space, and he squared the ball across the box for Gilligan to turn and drill low past Doyle for number three.
The full-time whistle went a few minutes later to give Gorey Rangers a mightily satisfying Youth Premier Division title. GOREY RANGERS: Darragh Brooks; Seán Murphy, Conor McDermott, Dylan Fleming, Corey Meyler; Rory Heffernan, Dillon Dixon; Jordan Redmond, Ethan Vickers (capt.), Jordan Kennedy; Cillian Gilligan. Subs. - Tiernan Doyle for Redmond (76), also Adam Boukhima, Adam Byrne, Matthew O’Brien, Eoin Buckley. MOYNE RANGERS: Jack Doyle; Evan Dempsey, Ryan Doran, John Leslie, Will Doyle; Cian Larkin (capt.), Lee Jordan; Sam Murphy, Rob Clifford, Evan Foley; Peter Collins. Subs. - Andy Lawlor for Murphy (73), also Craig Peare. REFEREE: Kieran Dunne.