Gut-wrenching late U-17 defeat
Cork grab last-gasp goal
WEXFORD F.C. are learning very quickly about the heart-breaking side of the beautiful game.
Two weeks ago, Kerry denied them three points with a 94th-minute leveller, and Cork City went one better on Saturday in Ferrycarrig Park as they snatched the only goal five minutes into injury time.
In truth, neither team deserved to win this SSE Airtricity League Under-17 Southern Elite Division game, a contest which lacked creativity and cutting edge.
The first-half was particularly quiet. Wexford shaded proceedings but the majority of their efforts were speculative ones from outside the penalty area.
Robert Bulmer probably went the closest when he swivelled and half-volleyed just over the crossbar in the 20th minute.
Wexford made a double change at the interval as they searched for more meaningful attacking play. Darragh Levingston and Brody Murphy entered the fray and the shake-up looked to have worked as Wexford started the half on top.
Murphy’s through ball was inches too heavy as Seán Smithers bore down on goal before Cork finally had a few opportunities. Jamie O’Sullivan side-footed wide as the Ferrycarrig back line opened up, and Josh Lombardi forced Aaron Hall into a save.
Wexford fought back and Levingston spurned probably their best chance of the match on the 71-minute mark. Some relentless Smithers pressure retrieved the ball well into Cork’s half before the striker cut the ball back for Levingston who dragged it wide of the left post from twelve yards.
Levingston was at the heart of the action again minutes later. His intelligent quick free-kick found the run of Killian Griffin who dribbled into the box and cannoned a shot across the goal, inches away from finding a pink jersey and a certain goal.
Neither Levingston nor Caellum Devlin-Travers could find the target from direct free-kicks and, with a number of delays for injuries, the game ticked into injury time.
Wexford were still the side pushing for the winner but once again found themselves picking the ball out of the net, having had an attacking set-piece moments before.
In Kerry it was a corner, and on Saturday Cork broke from a Wexford free-kick. Ricardo Dinanga drove into the box and blasted high past Hall in the Wexford net to send all three points back to Cork.
Wexford F.C.: Aaron Hall; Killian Griffin, Kevin Murphy (capt.), Cillian McDonald, Shane Gibson; Caellum Devlin-Travers, Graham O’Reilly, Ethan O’Neill, Seán Smithers, Robert Bulmer; Brian Byrne. Subs. - Darragh Levingston for O’Reilly (46), Brody Murphy for Byrne (46), James Dowling for Bulmer (73), Kyle Scallan for Devlin-Travers (85), Dylan Whelan for Gibson (90+3), also Luke Greene, Seán Maher.
Cork City: Adam Cantwell; Jake O’Brien, Josh Honahan, Colin Hanifin, Josh Hudner; Oran Daly (capt.), Jamie O’Sullivan, Luke Desmond, Adam Hunt, Ricardo Dinanga; Josh Lombardi. Subs. - Rob Walsh for Hudner (53), Matthew O’Reilly for Lombardi (72), Oran Crowe for Desmond (78), Darragh Connell for Hunt (90+6), also Cian Hogan, James Hickey, Alex Minihane.
Referee: Mick Farrell (Wexford).