WFAI Cup Report: UCD Waves 2 - 4 Wexford Youths Women

See the a slideshow of pictures from the game as taken by Peter Fitzpatrick

Wexford Youths advanced to the Continental Tyres Women’s FAI Cup semi-finals after a 4-2 victory over UCD Waves. A braced from influential skipper Kylie Murphy, added to goals from Ruth Fahy and Carol Breen, ensured Youths left a sunny Jackson Park victorious.

In a second clash between the two sides in less than a month, it was the visiting side who were first to settle and after just ten minutes they opened the scoring when Emma Hansberry picked out Murphy from a corner and the midfielder calmly volleyed past Monica McGuirk from close range.

UCD attempted to respond soon after, but Julie-Ann Russell failed to test Mary Rose Kelly when she fired wide. Soon after Russell was again involved when she knocked down an Aine O’Gorman cross, but no Waves player latched onto the breaking ball deep inside the Youth box.

With the Waves looking for an opportunity to claw away back into the game, Youths doubled their advantage from another Hansberry corner, her delivery was first headed onto the crossbar by Claire O’Riordan before Ciara Rossiter’s shot cannoned off the post and the ball fell to Fahy whose low shot found its way into the net.

As Youths continued to assert their dominance, they had two great opportunities to add a third goal, first a low corner from Hansberry sailed right across the Waves goal, before a Rossiter corner from the other side had to be palmed away under the crossbar by McGuirk in the Waves goal.

Just after the half hour mark, Waves pulled a goal back when O’Gorman curled home a lovely free-kick from the left edge of the box. Moments later O’Gorman was involved again when she raced onto a low threw ball from Chloe Mustaki, but the Ireland international failed to test the keeper.

As the half-time whistle approached, McGuirk was forced into making two great saves first from Breen, who skipped past two defenders before shooting. Hansberry was next to test the shot-stopper when she latched onto an O’Riordan knockdown and fired towards goal, from the resulting rebound O’Riordan will be disappointed she didn’t add her name to the goal scorers when she fired over from inside the penalty area. 

With a tense opening to the second half, which saw both sides fail to test either keeper in the opening twenty minutes, UCD grabbed the first of three goals in a six minute spell when O’Gorman equalised with a side footed volley from close range after a lovely weighted free-kick from Mustaki found the attacker unmarked in the Youths Penalty box.

Despite Waves equalising, Youths hit back four minutes later when the ball fell to Breen from Hansberry free-kick and the forward made no mistake from the six yard line. With Youths looking to restore their two goal advantage, Murphy was again at the end of another set piece when she headed home a Rossiter corner.

With their two goal lead restored, Youths had several opportunities to extend their lead, but Douglas, Rossiter and Breen all failed to beat McGuirk.

UCD Waves: Monica McGuirk, Rebekah Carroll, Ciara Grant, Karen Duggan, Alison Brien, Julie-Ann Russell, Chloe Mustaki, Eleanor Ryan Doyle, Jetta Berrill, Orlagh Nolan (Catherine Cronin 73), Aine O’Gorman.

Subs Not Used: Emma Reilly, Sarah Clune, Caroline Thorpe, Emily Cahill, Niamh Prior.

Booked: None.

Wexford Youths: Mary Rose Kelly, Ciara Rossiter, Nicola Sinnott, Edel Kennedy, Linda Douglas (Rachel Hutchinson 90), Ruth Fahy, Kylie Murphy (Becky Cassin 81), Emma Hansberry, Aisling Frawley (Shauna Wall 86), Carol Breen, Claire O’Riordan.

Subs Not Used: Tamara Furlong, Aoibhinn Webb, Orla Conlon, Megan Whitty.

Booked: Murphy, Hansberry.

Referee: Philip Harris.

Attendance: 60 (estimate).

Extratime Player of the Match: Emma Hansberry (Wexford Youths).