Youths Women through to semis
U.C.D. WAVES 1, WEXFORD YOUTHS 2: Wexford Youths maintained their impressive start to the season, beating UCD Waves to advance to the semi-final of the Continental Tyres Women’s National League Development Shield in Jackson Park on Sunday.
The fixture threw up an interesting conundrum for new Youths boss Tom Elmes, as he needed to balance the pitfalls of not having enough game-time in his senior players’ legs with the advantages of getting squad players important minutes.
All the while it was important to make sure the perfect start to the season continued. While the game was scrappy and never hit the heights of the league opener against Limerick, in the end it was mission accomplished on all fronts.
Youths gave a competitive debut to Ciamh Dollard in goal, Becky Cassin got her first start of the season, while Amy Walsh, Aisling Frawley and Katrina Parrock all came into the first eleven after not featuring in the opener.
The opening half didn’t have much in the way of excitement. Walsh, Frawley and Rianna Jarrett all tested Monica McGuirk with speculative efforts, but the visitors did produce one move of quality that got them ahead.
The opening goal, which came on the half hour mark, arrived after a swap between Kylie Murphy and Aisling Frawley created a little confusion in the U.C.D. defence. Nicola Sinnott found the latter with a throw-in inside the box and Frawley tucked her shot past McGuirk.
In the absence of Emma Hansberry, Aoibhín Webb is often the corner taker. However, she was the one to meet the second-half set-piece ahead of team-mate Jarrett to head home Youths’ second with 20 minutes remaining.
Two up, Wexford looked set to coast into the last four. However, a defensive mix-up allowed Leanne Payne to steal in and pull a goal back.
Needing another to force extra-time, U.C.D. never really came close and Youths advanced.
Wexford return to league action in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday with a huge encounter against title favourites Peamount. They won’t have Ciara Rossiter available, despite her injury not being as serious as first feared.
Emma Hansberry, Leanne Tumelty and Jenny O’Keeffe are all on the road to recovery but, with the exception of the enforced change, a similar starting line-up to the one that dismissed Limerick in the league opener is expected.
Wexford Youths: Ciamh Dollard; Nicola Sinnott, Lauren Dwyer, Orlaith Conlon, Amy Walsh; Edel Kennedy; Aisling Frawley, Kylie Murphy, Becky Cassin, Katrina Parrock; Rianna Jarrett. Subs. - Rebekah Carroll for Conlon, Aoibhín Webb for Parrock, Cliodhna Ní Shé for Sinnott, also Sophie Lenehan, Ciara Delaney, Rachel Hutchinson, Becky Conroy.
U.C.D. Waves: Monica McGuirk, Chelsee Snell, Róisín McGovern, Ally O’Keeffe, Sinéad Gaynor, Keelin McEntee, Chloe Mustaki, Leanne Payne, Avril Brierly, Eimear Lafferty, Kerri Letmon. Subs. - Aislin Spillane, Sophie O’Donoghue, Orla Haran, Jenny Chambers, Amy Guilfoyle, Caolan Carroll.