Seasiders go on a scoring spree
Curracloe put Shelburne to the sword
CURRACLOE United brushed aside the challenge of fellow Division 2 outfit Shelburne with a real swagger to ease into the fourth round of the Creane and Creane Wexford Cup after a dominant display at the River Field on Sunday.
The teams may operate in the same division but there was a real gulf in class in this contest as the seasiders simply tore the visitors’ defence to shreds with ruthless efficiency.
There was only two goals in it at the break, with Conor Sutton and Stephen McGuire scoring for the hosts, but the floodgates were ripped open after the change of ends.
Tomás Murphy, John Forde and substitute Kerill Sutton all got in on the goal scoring act, while Conor Hearne hit the back of the net twice and Conor Sutton also completed his double.
It didn’t take long for an impressive Curracloe outfit to signal their attacking intent, with the excellent Tomás Murphy warming James Rossiter’s gloves just 30 seconds in, but the reprieve was short-lived and the goalkeeper was picking the ball out of the net with just five minutes on the clock.
Stephen McGuire fizzed in a teasing delivery from the right wing and former Wexford F.C. man Conor Sutton applied a clinical first-time finish.
The home side continued to probe, with Tomás Murphy twice going close either side of a wellstruck Stephen McGuire free-kick which drifted narrowly wide, but they had to wait until three minutes before the break to double their advantage, when the ball fell to McGuire in a crowded penalty area and his deflected effort flew into the net.
If Shelburne harboured any hopes of staging a fightback, their notions were well and truly dashed within a minute of the restart, when Tomás Murphy raced clear and confidently buried a shot to the far corner of the net from an acute angle.
The fourth goal arrived in the 64th minute when Stephen McGuire did well to find Conor Hearne in space, and the attacker arrowed a shot past Rossiter.
Three minutes later John Forde got his name on the scoresheet, ghosting in at the far post to meet a deep Graham Staples cross and planting a powerful left-footed shot to the net.
It was six of the best in the 71st minute, with Conor Hearne tucking away Conor Sutton’s cross after a flowing move.
Moments later Hearne returned the favour, teeing up Sutton who blasted a rasping drive in off the underside of the crossbar.
Shelburne came close to garnering a small crumb of comfort when substitutes Chris Connick and Patrick Barron combined, but the latter saw his effort tipped around the post by netminder Jack Watters.
Curracloe substitute Kerill Sutton then put a further gloss on the scoreline, when he met Stephen McGuire’s cross from the byline and headed in from close range.
CURRACLOE UNITED ‘A’: Jack Watters, Gary Murphy, Kyle Roche, Robbie Staples, Barry Redmond, John Forde, Tomás Murphy, Graham Staples, Conor Sutton, Conor Hearne, Stephen McGuire. Subs. Niall Kelly for Redmond (61), Kerill Sutton for T. Murphy.
SHELBURNE UNITED: James Rossiter, Kevin Bennett, Bryan Cody, Conor Lynch, Jess Quigley, Will Treacy, Jason Murphy, Brian Minogue, Brian Lynch, Billy Cooney, Jack Fleming. Subs. - Paddy Flynn for Bennett (32), John Murphy for Treacy (HT), Paudie Lynch for Minogue (55), Patrick Barron for Cooney (58), Chris Connick for B. Lynch (62).
REFEREE: Mick Farrell.