Wexford Youths 0 - 1 UCD
Credit:
A strong second half display could not rescue this match for the Youths as John Reilly’s first half goal gave UCD an important win in their push for promotion. Wexford will feel aggrieved at not getting the run of the green after some contentious decisions from the referee. Former Youths underage player Greg Bolger had ran the show from midfield in tandem with Robbie Creevy up until the goal. Dempsey and McCurtain then took the advice of manager Mick Wallace and began to assert themselves on the game. Despite a much improved second half and enough chances to warrant a draw, the young side could not take their chances and the single goal was enough for the Students.
The start of the match saw the visitors kick-off and from the outset New Ross native Bolger was looking solid in the centre of the park. Wexford didn't seem to use the returning Conor Sinnott to much effect as he stood out on the right wing while his team mates looked for strikers Gavin Doyle and Garry Sheahan with speculative long balls. One such diagonal ball caught out Shortall whose header fell to Sheahan, however, after controlling and advancing well the Youths man skewered his shot wide. UCD’s first shot came through Chris Mulhall, as his curled free-kick from just left of centre outside the box lacked power and was an easy catch for Youths goalkeeper Pa Doyle.
The only goal came after 18 minutes, as Bolger found right winger John Reilly whose composed effort squeezed through Doyle’s legs. The home side then started to play the ball to feet slightly more, Dempsey did well in winning possession for Youths as they took the bulk of posession. With 30 minutes played Garry Sheahan became the second player to be booked, seeing yellow for dissent as strong appeals for hand-ball inside the UCD box were waved away. The ref admitted to the side line that it was handball but he somehow judged it to be ball to hand rather than a deliberate professional foul. The last chance of the opening period fell to McMillan up front as he broke onto a Bolger pass but sliced wide under pressure from David Breen.
Defender Breen should have equalised at the start of the second half from a Sinnott corner but couldn’t direct his header. Conor Sinnott should have made it one all after 51 minutes as he slipped when place to tap in a far post cross from Kearney. Mulhall tried a spectacular volley as Reilly teed him up from a corner only to see his shot go over. Next up after was a swift interchange and run with McMillan that saw Mulhall slice wide when the hard work seemed to have been done – the two being good outlets for UCD in the second half as the home side took over in the centre with Bolger weakening and going off with a hamstring injury with 20 minutes to go.
After some tactical manoeuvring from Wallace, the Warriors should have at least equalised. Sinnott beat Nagle down the right first after 73 minutes and pulled a great ball across to substitute Malone only for his side foot effort from six yards to slide wide. A minute later Gavin Doyle fought his way past Matthews to find Sinnott, but he ballooned his shot over when he had time to take a touch. After 80 minutes Johnny Flynn O’Connor shot into Eric McMillan’s chest on the line and out for a throw, the shot looking to hit the defender on the arm also but with the earlier penalty turned down there was no hope here. David Breen’s poorly placed header was to prove the last chance for Wexford with six minutes remaining, the defenders head in hands reaction telling the tale of the game tonight. Manager Mick Wallace was heartbroken on the touch line after and said ‘we didn’t start with enough of a tempo early on, if we had played in the first half as we did in the second we would have won. We were very good tonight in the second half but it just wasn’t enough.’
Wexford Team: 1 Pa Doyle; 27 Anto Russell, 28 Johnny Flynn O’Connor (Yellow, 82 min), 29 Paul Rossiter, 30 David Breen, 31 Keith Kearney (Keohane, 65min); 36 Shane Dempsey (Vickers, 81min), 34 Garret McCurtain (Yellow, 17min) (Malone, 65min (Yellow, 66min)), 32 Conor Sinnott (Capt); 35 Gavin Doyle, 37 Garry Sheahan (Yellow, 30min).
Subs: 20 Packie Holden, 41 Jimmy Keohane, 39 Richie Fitzgerald, 42 Robert Vickers, 43 Patsey Malone.
UCD Team: 1 Billy Brennan; 2 Gareth Matthews (Harding, 75min), 3 Ciaran Nagle, 4 Brian Shortall, 5 Evan McMillan; 6 Robbie Creevy, 7 John Reilly, 8 Greg Bolger (McMahon, 69min), 11 Keith Ward; 9 Chris Mulhall (Purcell, 87min), 10 David McMillan.
Subs: 20 Ger Barron, 12 Sean Harding, 13 Andrew Boyle, 14 Peter McMahon, 15 Timmy Purcell.
Referee: J.Kell.
Attendance: 482
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: UCD midfielder Robbie Creevy, for his industrious tackling and passing. He was quick to find space and get the ball to danger men Mulhall and McMillan at every opportunity.
The start of the match saw the visitors kick-off and from the outset New Ross native Bolger was looking solid in the centre of the park. Wexford didn't seem to use the returning Conor Sinnott to much effect as he stood out on the right wing while his team mates looked for strikers Gavin Doyle and Garry Sheahan with speculative long balls. One such diagonal ball caught out Shortall whose header fell to Sheahan, however, after controlling and advancing well the Youths man skewered his shot wide. UCD’s first shot came through Chris Mulhall, as his curled free-kick from just left of centre outside the box lacked power and was an easy catch for Youths goalkeeper Pa Doyle.
The only goal came after 18 minutes, as Bolger found right winger John Reilly whose composed effort squeezed through Doyle’s legs. The home side then started to play the ball to feet slightly more, Dempsey did well in winning possession for Youths as they took the bulk of posession. With 30 minutes played Garry Sheahan became the second player to be booked, seeing yellow for dissent as strong appeals for hand-ball inside the UCD box were waved away. The ref admitted to the side line that it was handball but he somehow judged it to be ball to hand rather than a deliberate professional foul. The last chance of the opening period fell to McMillan up front as he broke onto a Bolger pass but sliced wide under pressure from David Breen.
Defender Breen should have equalised at the start of the second half from a Sinnott corner but couldn’t direct his header. Conor Sinnott should have made it one all after 51 minutes as he slipped when place to tap in a far post cross from Kearney. Mulhall tried a spectacular volley as Reilly teed him up from a corner only to see his shot go over. Next up after was a swift interchange and run with McMillan that saw Mulhall slice wide when the hard work seemed to have been done – the two being good outlets for UCD in the second half as the home side took over in the centre with Bolger weakening and going off with a hamstring injury with 20 minutes to go.
After some tactical manoeuvring from Wallace, the Warriors should have at least equalised. Sinnott beat Nagle down the right first after 73 minutes and pulled a great ball across to substitute Malone only for his side foot effort from six yards to slide wide. A minute later Gavin Doyle fought his way past Matthews to find Sinnott, but he ballooned his shot over when he had time to take a touch. After 80 minutes Johnny Flynn O’Connor shot into Eric McMillan’s chest on the line and out for a throw, the shot looking to hit the defender on the arm also but with the earlier penalty turned down there was no hope here. David Breen’s poorly placed header was to prove the last chance for Wexford with six minutes remaining, the defenders head in hands reaction telling the tale of the game tonight. Manager Mick Wallace was heartbroken on the touch line after and said ‘we didn’t start with enough of a tempo early on, if we had played in the first half as we did in the second we would have won. We were very good tonight in the second half but it just wasn’t enough.’
Wexford Team: 1 Pa Doyle; 27 Anto Russell, 28 Johnny Flynn O’Connor (Yellow, 82 min), 29 Paul Rossiter, 30 David Breen, 31 Keith Kearney (Keohane, 65min); 36 Shane Dempsey (Vickers, 81min), 34 Garret McCurtain (Yellow, 17min) (Malone, 65min (Yellow, 66min)), 32 Conor Sinnott (Capt); 35 Gavin Doyle, 37 Garry Sheahan (Yellow, 30min).
Subs: 20 Packie Holden, 41 Jimmy Keohane, 39 Richie Fitzgerald, 42 Robert Vickers, 43 Patsey Malone.
UCD Team: 1 Billy Brennan; 2 Gareth Matthews (Harding, 75min), 3 Ciaran Nagle, 4 Brian Shortall, 5 Evan McMillan; 6 Robbie Creevy, 7 John Reilly, 8 Greg Bolger (McMahon, 69min), 11 Keith Ward; 9 Chris Mulhall (Purcell, 87min), 10 David McMillan.
Subs: 20 Ger Barron, 12 Sean Harding, 13 Andrew Boyle, 14 Peter McMahon, 15 Timmy Purcell.
Referee: J.Kell.
Attendance: 482
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: UCD midfielder Robbie Creevy, for his industrious tackling and passing. He was quick to find space and get the ball to danger men Mulhall and McMillan at every opportunity.
