Wexford Youths

Our 2010 campaign ended with a home victory over Cork City which helped Youths secure 7th position in the First Division. This victory raised spirits and expectations for the coming season.

 

The departure of Garry Sheahan to Limerick and Shane Dempsey to Waterford (who subsequently returned in July 2011) were big blows as they were two of the more experienced players in the side.

 

Pre-season for Youths fans was encouraging with the signings of Karl Keogh from Shamrock Rovers and David Grincell from Waterford Utd as they added experience to the squad. Along with pre-season victories over Tramore and Galway and a Leinster Senior Cup victory over Drogheda Utd. It wasn't just victories over more experienced teams, it was the manner of victory too! Attacking free flowing football and a real lack of fear too!

 

It may be hard to believe, and understandably so,  that this is the same team that only managed to win 4 from 30 league games in 2011 season. 

 

Youths were given a tough start to the season and won our first game with a hard fought 1-0 away win against Limerick, courtesy of Shane Nolan's 93rd minute winner. Finally our season got started but this was the first of many false dawns for the Youths fans as we lost our next home fixture against Athlone Town, who in previous seasons, would have been put to the sword.

 

Youths endured three more defeats before an away win against Finn Harps, another false dawn for the club. In the meantime, club captain Anthony Wolfe left the club for personal reasons and I genuinely believe that the loss of his experience along with Anthony Russell and Greg Yelverton proved crucial to the way our season went.

 

We were playing well in games but couldn't see them out as late goals in home defeats against Shels, Cork and Waterford saw draws and victories turn to defeats. Maybe this experience would have helped us win more points, in fact I'm certain it would have.

 

I think the epitome of our season was the week after the Derry City game. Anybody who was in attendance at Ferrycarrig Park would have seen a young Youths team go out without any inhibitions and comfortably beat a strong Derry team, with attacking free flowing and confident football. Our next fixture resulted in a 6-0 crushing defeat against Shels in the Leinster Senior Cup. Too many chances to turn our season around not seized upon. 

 

Experienced players weren't/ couldn't be replaced and squad numbers were diminished and this sadly was the crux to the dire season that fans had to endure, especially considering our mid table finishes in previous seasons. 

 

Even with our limited pool of player resources some of our team selections raised quite a few eyebrows! Most notably when Ben Ryan, a centre midfielder by trade and one of our best players of the season, was used as a lone striker against the hugely experienced Peter Hutton of Finn Harps. Team selections are far easier when sitting in attendance, it has to be said.

 

Our final league game of the season resulted in our first home victory of the season against wooden spoon winners Salthill Devon with a 5-2 victory coming from two behind.

 

A hugely disappointing season for everybody involved with Wexford Youths. A change of manager has recently occurred at Youths with Shane Keegan coming in from FC Carlow taking the reigns of the senior team with Noel O'Connor taking up the role as Head of Youth Development. A needed change in infrastructure and fresh optimism at Wexford Youths although their is a strong possibility that a number of important players may have played their last game for us.

 

That is what Wexford Youths are all about, a unique club who aim to give younger talent a platform to entertain us upon.