Improved show earns draw
Wexford respond to Cabo goal and share the spoils
A CHINK of light appeared at the end of the tunnel in Ferrycarrig Park on Friday when Wexford F.C. came from behind to earn a share of the spoils with Cabinteely in their SSE Airtricity First Division encounter.
While that eagerly sought after first win eluded the home side once again, the general display suggested that the gradual improvements will result in an upward curve in the near future.
Certainly if one was to compare this game to their first meeting in Stradbrook when Cabo won 2-0, Wexford have come on in leaps and bounds.
The league’s newest club have assembled their strongest-ever squad and are enjoying their best start since joining in 2015. Player-coach and captain Daire Doyle is a vastly-experienced ex-Coventry City professional who arrived from Shelbourne, while the Wexford defence had to contend with the guile of veteran Jason Byrne, the league’s second all-time highest goalscorer.
And when everything is taken into consideration, this was a much better overall display from the Ferrycarrig Park crew who bid farewell to former Cabo midfielder John McKeown and Seán Eve from their squad during the week.
Two changes were made from the loss to Athlone, with Ricky Fox coming back in for March player of the month Andrew O’Connor at right wing-back, while there was a first start up front for Bagenalstown teenager Danny Doyle in place of Craig Hayes.
Wexford threatened early, with Seán Hurley hooking a snapshot to the left and wide from a Craig McCabe throw with just over one minute gone.
Cabinteely nearly prospered from the first of just two corners earned on their initial attack, with Kevin Knight granted a free downward header from Kieran Waters’ delivery but failing to hit the target.
Their second arrived in the eleventh minute, and thankfully Jason Byrne was unable to connect with the ball and it was cleared to safety.
Seán Hurley headed on another McCabe throw at the near post but it was claimed by Cabinteely netminder Mick Kelly before the visitors hit the front in the 17th minute.
Kieran Waters won a 50-50 ball after a quickly-taken short free-kick and poked it in the direction of Evan Galvin on the right flank. He whipped in a knee-high cross and, although Jason Byrne missed it, Kevin Knight was perfectly placed at the far post after darting in from the left to direct it past Corey Chambers.
Given their travails up to this point in the campaign, the response from Wexford was very impressive.
First they had to contend with a speculative long-range shot from Kieran ‘Marty’ Waters who spotted that Chambers was a fraction off his line, but it was too high to pose any problems.
And the Cabinteely lead was wiped out within four minutes when one of their old boys picked the perfect time to score his first goal for Wexford.
Ricky Fox sent in a free-kick from the right and, while everyone watched the trajectory of a looping header from Danny Doyle, referee Paula Brady whistled for another foul on the edge of the box.
Six players manned the wall and, instead of opting to try to go over it or around it, Slater cleverly kept his set-piece on the ground and his daisy-cutter deceived everyone to nestle sweetly in the left corner of the net.
It was only Wexford’s fifth goal of the ten-game campaign, and it filled them with confidence against the fourth-placed team in the league who were notably minus the services of centre-half Victor Ekanem who turned in a man of the match display in their first meeting of the season.
Danny Doyle played strike partner Adam Hanlon in with just under 22 minutes gone, but goalkeeper Mick Kelly spread himself and blocked the ball with his upper body.
Slater then earned the first of three Wexford corners which was unproductive, but Corey Chambers had to be on his toes after Jack Watson played a through ball into the path of Kieran Waters in the left channel. The ex-Shamrock Rovers man got a strong connection on his shot but the young netminder was spot on with his positioning and made a key save.
A couple of Cabinteely freekicks into the box were eventually dealt with before a brief flashpoint saw Christian Lotefa yellow-carded for a challenge on Danny Doyle, while Mark Slater and Jack Watson also entered the notebook for their reactions.
Doyle had a shot blocked after the resultant free-kick from Chambers broke into his path, and Cabinteely threatened more in the lead-up to half-time after wing-backs Evan Galvin and Kevin Knight switched flanks.
Knight tried to find Waters with a long ball but Chambers was off his line smartly, while Galvin won a free-kick that Wexford dealt with before his shot was blocked by Craig McCabe and cushioned into the path of Chambers.
The south Dubliners threatened first on the re-start, as Jack Watson shot to the right and wide after a Knight throw-in fell kindly for him after just 47 seconds.
Cabo’s Conor Keely did well to deal with an Adam Hanlon through ball intended for Danny Doyle, while Chambers was called upon to save from Jason Byrne after another Knight throw posed some problems in the box.
Adam Hanlon didn’t connect with a shot before nearly getting on the end of a good Wexford move. Danny Doyle found Seán Hurley on the left and his cross just needed a firmer connection from Hanlon but unfortunately the ball went wide.
Evan Galvin was booked for handball and Mark Slater’s freekick tested netminder Mick Kelly at his near post. It resulted in a corner but unfortunately a Cabinteely player was fouled from the set-piece.
Ricky Fox was booked before making way for Shane Dunne in the 66th minute, and the next decent attack saw Adam Hanlon thwarted after a weak shot from Craig McCabe’s long ball.
Jason Byrne crashed a Cabinteely free-kick into the wall, and the best chance for a winner fell to Dunne as the game moved into the closing stages.
A crossfield pass from Slater found the lively replacement in the 85th minute, and his first-time drive was only slightly to the left and wide.
Another positive was the return of Lee Duffy after a back injury, and he threatened a few times on the break in the closing stages. Defender Conor Keely stood up well to the striker on one occasion and sheperded the ball wide, and he came even closer in the 89th minute after a long ball from Owen McCormack.
Duffy got his shot away and forced Mick Kelly into making a vital save, with Adam Hanlon first-timing the rebound wide.
Cabo did threaten a couple of times also, with the only two offside flags of the game raised to deny Kieran Waters and then substitute Joe Doyle who had scored both goals when they met in Stradbrook in early March.
A Shane Dunne shot was deflected for the last Wexford corner in added time, but Adam Hanlon’s delivery from the left was fisted clear by Kelly. Lee Duffy had the ball in a threatening position on the edge of the area with 30 seconds to go, but a timely Cabinteely tackle ensured that the spoils would be shared.
After this encouraging display, it certainly won’t get any easier for Wexford when they travel to take on U.C.D. this coming Friday. The students currently lie third, just two points off new leaders Cobh Ramblers, and looked like an accomplished passing team when the sides drew 1-1 in Ferrycarrig Park on St. Patrick’s Day.
After that Wexford will have two home games on the trot, versus Waterford on May 12, and Shelbourne seven nights later.
Wexford F.C.: Corey Chambers; Craig McCabe (capt.), Owen McCormack, Ross Kenny; Ricky Fox, Eoin Porter, Craig Wall, Mark Slater, Seán Hurley; Danny Doyle, Adam Hanlon. Subs. - Shane Dunne for Fox (66), Thomas Croke for Porter (75), Lee Duffy for Doyle (77), also Liam Donnelly, Conor Sutton, Andrew O’Connor, Adam Dempsey.
Cabinteely: Mick Kelly; Seán Fitzpatrick, Conor Keely, Andrew McGovern; Evan Galvin, Jack Watson, Christian Lotefa, Daire Doyle (capt.), Kevin Knight; Jason Byrne, Kieran Waters. Subs. - Cory Galvin for Lotefa (68), Joe Doyle for Byrne (81), Cian Lynch for E. Galvin (81), also Jack Merton, Adam Harney, Anthony Dolan, Aaron Robinson.
Referee: Paula Brady (Dublin). FIRST DIVISION TABLE
P W D L F A Pt Cobh Rblers 10 6 2 2 18 11 20 Waterford FC 10 5 4 1 14 6 19 UCD 10 5 3 2 16 8 18 Cabinteely FC 10 3 4 3 14 12 13 Longford Tn 10 3 3 4 10 11 12 Shelbourne 10 3 3 4 11 13 12 Athlone Town 10 3 1 6 12 25 10 Wexford FC 10 0 4 6 5 14 4