Joey’s celebrate fine first
ST. JOSEPH’S from Kilmuckridge won their first-ever Wallace Wexford Youth Cup final in Curracloe on May 15, 2005, with a deserved 4-2 win over New Ross Celtic in a very entertaining game.
The eventual winners came close to getting off the mark in the eleventh minute when Pad Mythen saw his well-struck shot rebound to safety off the angle of post and crossbar.
A mix-up in the Celtic defence near the end of the first quarter saw Paul Nangle open the scoring with a well-judged lob to the unguarded Ross net.
Just two minutes later, Seán O’Sullivan of St. Joseph’s had a headed effort cleared off the line by Celtic’s Stephen Courtney.
St. Joseph’s doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when team captain Vinny Roche’s long-range shot deceived netminder Paul O’Neill to make it 2-0.
A cross-shot by full-back Keith Kavanagh extended the lead further on the re-start, and it got even better for Joey’s eight minutes later when Karl Curry’s inswinging corner from the right went directly to the net.
Ross Celtic kept battling away, and two players who went on to forge notable League of Ireland careers grabbed their consolation goals.
Richie Fitzgerald, later of Wexford Youths, got the first, with the second following from Greg Bolger who is still going strong with Shamrock Rovers in the Premier Division.
Best for St. Joseph’s were man of the match Keith Kavanagh, Gary Murphy, Alan Goff, Paul Nangle and Karl Curry, while David Caulfield offered most support to Fitzgerald and Bolger on the Celtic side.