Wexford Youths 0 - 3 Kildare County
Credit:
At half time this game looked a cert for a draw but three goals inside six minutes killed off the home side. Philip Hughes scored the first and the third with Trevor Bowers claiming the second. The first came as the home side were undone by the swirling wind and chaotic defending, the second from keeper Doyle’s sliced clearance breaking and leaving him stranded but the third goal and Hughes second of the night was one to seal any game and will long be remembered by the soaked crowd in attendance.
Garry Sheahan’s returned cross to Shane Dempsey would’ve set the midfielder up inside the box but for Davy Byrne’s slide after five minutes. The deflection slithered along the saturated surface into keeper Kelly’s arms. The sides struggled to get going as the weather dictated the play, wind and rain coming across the pitch diagonally and taking any high balls straight to touch. Short passing was off too as the wet ground either held the ball up or helped it skid away. County centre half Bynre went off with an injury after 17 minutes and with Bowers on and heading for the left wing, the away side’s tactical change seemed to shake them as they conceded needless foul after foul and saw four booked in the first half.
Shane Dempsey had a good chance from distance after 19 minutes but went over the ball, a technique he repeated a minute form half time again with time but no composure. Gavin Doyle sped onto Dempsey’s through ball after 23 minutes only for Kelly to palm away his one on one effort; Shane Sinnott’s cross got caught in the wind and went out in the follow up. County’s first chance fell to winger Jackson whose cross-shot on the volley was cleared away at the back post with sub Bowers lurking. Anto Russell beat Doran down the right and continued his run only to see his rising shot again caught by the wind and curl into the side netting with half an hour played. Doran showed his frustration at not getting cover by Bowers on the left side when he hacked down Sheahan a minute later to become the 4th Kildare player booked – O’Riordan and Lee getting booked earlier for dissent. Philip Hughes had the sides’ best chance in added time but he shot straight at Doyle in the home goal when well placed on the edge of the box.
Sheahan and Fitzgerald looked likely early in the half for the home side cutting in from the left but shooting straight at Kelly inside the first ten minutes of the half. Kildare had taken to the pitch in a change of top wearing white jerseys instead of red and it wasn’t long before they showed the Youths how to play with the wind at their backs. After 57 minutes though it was the away side that drew first blood. David Breen headed a long ball that got caught up in the air, Rossiter whacked it into O’Riordan and the ball broke for Hughes to run on and beat Doyle in the Wexford goal from just inside the area. If it was a cruel blow, the next goal on 61 minutes was the knock out –Doyle sliced a clearance up into the air that fell in midfield. Sub Bower was on hand to hit the breaking ball instinctively at goal and the back pedalling Doyle just couldn’t get back in time as the ball fell into his goal. Within a minute a ridiculous night for Wexford was compounded by the goal of the night if not the month from Philip Hughes. The striker picked up a nothing ball way out, looked up and hit a weighted chip straight over Doyle and into the top corner.
Although the home side did not let their game drop, the three goal advantage looked insurmountable. Conor Sinnott went on a mazy run after 67 minutes that ended with a tame shot at the keeper. Goal scorer Bower repeated the act soon after too. Wexford sub Muzzi Mullen then came on and made his best attempts at getting into the team with some good chances. After 77 minutes the red booted striker chested down a Dempsey cross and shot on the volley for Kelly to acrobatically tip over. Two minutes later he reacted quickest after Kelly was grounded after saving a Broaders lob but Mullen’s shot was saved by the downed keeper. Mullen had the last decent chance with three minutes to go as he met Sinnott’s cross with a diving header but arrowed it over with the keeper sprawled. The last few minutes petered out as the home side couldn’t find a way to beat the weather or the opposition even for a consolation.
Wexford Team: 1 Pa Doyle; 27 Anto Russell, 29 Paul Rossiter, 30 David Breen(Broaders, 75min), 31 Shane Sinnott (Fitzgerald, 31min); 32 Patsey Malone, 28 Garret McCurtain (Yellow, 14min)(Mullen, 68min), 34 Conor Sinnott Capt., 35 Shane Dempsey; 36 Gavin Doyle, 37 Gary Sheahan.
Subs: Tiernan Rossiter, 41 Richie Fitzgerald, 42 Lee Aust, 43 Warren Broaders, 44 Michael Mullen.
Kildare Team: 1 Darren Kelly; 2 Matt Byrne, 3 Christy Doran (Yellow, 31min), 4 Dean Lawrence Capt., 5 David Byrne (Trevor Bowers, 17min); 6 Darren O’Brien, 7 David Jackson (Yellow, 24min), 8 Gavin Kinsella(Yellow, 59min), 11 David Lee (Yellow, 29min)(Barrett, 83min); 9 David O’Riordan (Yellow, 27min), 10 Philip Hughes.
Subs: 12 Trevor Bowers, 13 Dean Barrett, 14 Colm Daly, Eoghan Kavanagh, 18 Cloin Cassidy.
Ref: Keith Callanan
Attendance: 268
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Philip Hughes, screamer, goal of the whatever, call it what you want. Two goals, the second was worth the weather, well done.
Garry Sheahan’s returned cross to Shane Dempsey would’ve set the midfielder up inside the box but for Davy Byrne’s slide after five minutes. The deflection slithered along the saturated surface into keeper Kelly’s arms. The sides struggled to get going as the weather dictated the play, wind and rain coming across the pitch diagonally and taking any high balls straight to touch. Short passing was off too as the wet ground either held the ball up or helped it skid away. County centre half Bynre went off with an injury after 17 minutes and with Bowers on and heading for the left wing, the away side’s tactical change seemed to shake them as they conceded needless foul after foul and saw four booked in the first half.
Shane Dempsey had a good chance from distance after 19 minutes but went over the ball, a technique he repeated a minute form half time again with time but no composure. Gavin Doyle sped onto Dempsey’s through ball after 23 minutes only for Kelly to palm away his one on one effort; Shane Sinnott’s cross got caught in the wind and went out in the follow up. County’s first chance fell to winger Jackson whose cross-shot on the volley was cleared away at the back post with sub Bowers lurking. Anto Russell beat Doran down the right and continued his run only to see his rising shot again caught by the wind and curl into the side netting with half an hour played. Doran showed his frustration at not getting cover by Bowers on the left side when he hacked down Sheahan a minute later to become the 4th Kildare player booked – O’Riordan and Lee getting booked earlier for dissent. Philip Hughes had the sides’ best chance in added time but he shot straight at Doyle in the home goal when well placed on the edge of the box.
Sheahan and Fitzgerald looked likely early in the half for the home side cutting in from the left but shooting straight at Kelly inside the first ten minutes of the half. Kildare had taken to the pitch in a change of top wearing white jerseys instead of red and it wasn’t long before they showed the Youths how to play with the wind at their backs. After 57 minutes though it was the away side that drew first blood. David Breen headed a long ball that got caught up in the air, Rossiter whacked it into O’Riordan and the ball broke for Hughes to run on and beat Doyle in the Wexford goal from just inside the area. If it was a cruel blow, the next goal on 61 minutes was the knock out –Doyle sliced a clearance up into the air that fell in midfield. Sub Bower was on hand to hit the breaking ball instinctively at goal and the back pedalling Doyle just couldn’t get back in time as the ball fell into his goal. Within a minute a ridiculous night for Wexford was compounded by the goal of the night if not the month from Philip Hughes. The striker picked up a nothing ball way out, looked up and hit a weighted chip straight over Doyle and into the top corner.
Although the home side did not let their game drop, the three goal advantage looked insurmountable. Conor Sinnott went on a mazy run after 67 minutes that ended with a tame shot at the keeper. Goal scorer Bower repeated the act soon after too. Wexford sub Muzzi Mullen then came on and made his best attempts at getting into the team with some good chances. After 77 minutes the red booted striker chested down a Dempsey cross and shot on the volley for Kelly to acrobatically tip over. Two minutes later he reacted quickest after Kelly was grounded after saving a Broaders lob but Mullen’s shot was saved by the downed keeper. Mullen had the last decent chance with three minutes to go as he met Sinnott’s cross with a diving header but arrowed it over with the keeper sprawled. The last few minutes petered out as the home side couldn’t find a way to beat the weather or the opposition even for a consolation.
Wexford Team: 1 Pa Doyle; 27 Anto Russell, 29 Paul Rossiter, 30 David Breen(Broaders, 75min), 31 Shane Sinnott (Fitzgerald, 31min); 32 Patsey Malone, 28 Garret McCurtain (Yellow, 14min)(Mullen, 68min), 34 Conor Sinnott Capt., 35 Shane Dempsey; 36 Gavin Doyle, 37 Gary Sheahan.
Subs: Tiernan Rossiter, 41 Richie Fitzgerald, 42 Lee Aust, 43 Warren Broaders, 44 Michael Mullen.
Kildare Team: 1 Darren Kelly; 2 Matt Byrne, 3 Christy Doran (Yellow, 31min), 4 Dean Lawrence Capt., 5 David Byrne (Trevor Bowers, 17min); 6 Darren O’Brien, 7 David Jackson (Yellow, 24min), 8 Gavin Kinsella(Yellow, 59min), 11 David Lee (Yellow, 29min)(Barrett, 83min); 9 David O’Riordan (Yellow, 27min), 10 Philip Hughes.
Subs: 12 Trevor Bowers, 13 Dean Barrett, 14 Colm Daly, Eoghan Kavanagh, 18 Cloin Cassidy.
Ref: Keith Callanan
Attendance: 268
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Philip Hughes, screamer, goal of the whatever, call it what you want. Two goals, the second was worth the weather, well done.
