Cork Women 1 - 2 Wexford Youths Women

Wexford Youths Women earned victory in the Bus Éireann FAI WNL against Cork Women’s FC on Wednesday night at Turner’s Cross with Maria Delahunty and Linda Douglas on the scoresheet for the Slaneysiders.

Cork suffered the loss to Wexford despite the Leesiders producing a very sound display.

Yet, Wexford’s greater technical ability was key to their victory as offensively John Flood’s unit appeared the slightly more threatening side when the game was in the melting pot.

However, left-full Lauren Murphy – her 87th minute free-kick drawing a fine save from Mary Rose Kelly, inclusive, central defender Ciara O’Connell and central midfielder Sarah O’Donovan epitomised the positivity of Cork’s performance though Wexford were nonetheless the slightly better unit.

Three minutes into the first-half Wexford left-winger Linda Douglas was one-on-one with Trish Fennelly but the goalkeeper produced an excellent save to deny the attacker.

Just 10 minutes passed before visiting striker Ciara Rossiter was afforded a guilt-edged opportunity however, shot wide.

Yet, at the opposite end, Cork central midfielder Megan Kelleher passed a neat through-ball to striker Clare Shine wide on the right but the attacker blazed outside the far post.

However, Wexford engineered a lead goal via the individual creativity and finishing ability of striker Maria Delahunty who began an attack, played an incisive one-two with Rossiter and subsequently crashed the ball into the roof of Fennelly’s net from 25 yards.

Nevertheless, Cork equalised 13 minutes later when captain and left-winger Lynsey McKey cut in and hit a shot which deflected off Edel Kennedy and arced its way teasingly around Kelly into the bottom corner.

In the 45th minute of the opening half Delahunty had a header from central defender Jessica Gleeson’s free-kick taken at halfway but her attempt went outside the post.

Yet, seven minutes into the second half the visitors retook the lead.

Rossiter located Delahunty by moving the ball from right to left across the area and when the latter picked out the run of Douglas the left-winger looped a shot over the unfortunate Fennelly from the edge of the area.

Five minutes later Wexford captain Kylie Murphy fired a shot from 30 yards but the central midfielder’s attempt went marginally over.

However, Cork had a number of half chances through McKey, striker Denise O’Sullivan and Shine as the half evolved but could not force a second leveller even though left-full Lauren Dwyer had to block the ball on the line twice from Shine and Murphy in additional time.

Cork Women’s FC: Trish Fennelly, Nathalie O’Brien, Lauren Murphy, Ciara O’Connell, Angie Carry, Megan Kelleher, Eimear Knightly, Sarah O’Donovan, Clare Shine, Denise O’Sullivan, Lynsey McKey (capt).

Subs: Amy O’Connor for Knightly (54), Laura Lynch for O’Sullivan (70), Emma Farmer for O’Donovan (70).

Wexford Youths Women’s AFC: Mary Rose Kelly, Lucy Sherwin, Lauren Dwyer, Jessica Gleeson, Katie White, Kylie Murphy (capt), Ashling Frawley, Edel Kennedy, Maria Delahunty, Ciara Rossiter, Linda Douglas.

Subs: Krista Minto for Frawley (54), Nicola Dunphy for White (62), Helena Sanchez for Douglas (76).

Referee: Chrissie Buckley (Cork).