More caps for Casey

ORLA CASEY of Wexford Youths Women gained further international experience at Under-19 level last week, starting on Monday when she was an 89th-minute substitute for Megan Mackey as the Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Austria in their Elite Round opener in Turner’s Cross.

Casey then started and played for 78 minutes at the Cork venue on Thursday when group leaders Spain inflicted a comfortable 3-0 defeat on the home country.

A busy week ended in a 2-0 loss to Turkey on Sunday, with Casey playing the first-half before being replaced by Sinéad Donovan at half-time.

Meanwhile, Shane Barnes of Wexford F.C. and I.T. Carlow was part of the Irish Colleges and Universities squad that faced their Scottish counterparts in Oriel Park, Dundalk, yesterday (Monday).

Greg Yelverton, the former Wexford Youths midfielder, is the team’s head coach, and other Ferrycarrig Park old boys involved include goalkeeper Matthew Connor of Waterford I.T. and Waterford F.C., and Donegal man Jonny Bonner of I.T. Carlow who is now playing his club football in the Irish League with Crusaders.

Meanwhile, it was another good week for Ryan Delaney from New Ross as he scored his first goal for Rochdale in the course of a 3-0 win over fellow relegation strugglers Bury in League One cross channel.

However, the Lancashire side are starting to gradually ease away from the danger zone, although the one point they collected in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Portsmouth ought to have been three as they conceded an own goal in the 90th minute.