Under-17 side stop the rot with battling draw against Cabo

WEXFORD F.C. stopped the rot as they came from behind to secure an important point against Cabinteely in the SSE Airtricity Under-17 League Southern Elite Division in Kilternan on Monday.

The result leaves Wexford in the middle of the pack and, having played six games and earning eight points in the process, they know now more than ever that it will be a dogfight for a top four place.

They would argue that having just eight points at this stage is probably less than they deserve, with injury time goals robbing them of valuable points on two occasions.

This was a relatively even encounter which Wexford may have just shaded, but they shot themselves in the foot early in the game. Ethan O’Neill’s heavy touch handed Cian McKenna the easiest of opportunities as he put Cabinteely ahead on the 20-minute mark.

However, the Ferrycarrig boys responded well and had levelled in less than five minutes, as Caellum Devlin-Travers’ cross was finished off by Darragh Levingston for his first of the season.

Excluding his earlier mistake, O’Neill was exceptional in the midfield for Wexford. His energy and creativity ensured Wexford were competitive in this area.

The four-man back line also stood out as they limited the intense Cabinteely to few chances.

Wexford could have grabbed a winner after the break. Luke Greene went closest, smashing his effort against the post as strikers Brian Byrne and Seán Smithers were made to wait even longer for their first goal, as they spurned opportunities as time ticked on.

While the draw may have halted Wexford’s unsavoury run of back-to-back defeats, a win is needed. Their next stop is one that carries significant emotion, as they travel to Waterford in the hope of re-igniting their push for the top four.

Wexford F.C.: Seán Maher; Cillian McDonald, Kyle Scallan (capt.), Kevin Murphy, Dylan Whelan; Caellum Devlin-Travers, Ethan O’Neill, Darragh Levingston, James Dowling, Seán Smithers; Brody Murphy. Subs. - Robert Bulmer for Murphy (51), Graham O’Reilly for Devlin-Travers (56), Luke Greene for Levingston (56), Seán O’Brien-Murphy for O’Neill (66), Brian Byrne for Dowling (87), also Killian Griffin.

Cabinteely: Dylan Davis; Joe Hyland, Jack O’Reilly, David Murray, Mark Soper; Dylan Bermingham, Cian McKenna, Vilius Labutis (capt.), Andrew Byrne, Conor Knight; Jem Campion. Subs. - Jack Savage for Knight (61), Daniel Tarcevskis for McKenna (61), Adam Moore for Bermingham (73), Jamie Dodd for O’Reilly (78), Daniel Lewins for Labutis (85), also David Baker, Ross Carey.

Referee: Wayne McDonnell (Dublin).