Waterford United 1 - 2 Wexford Youths

• Dean Hayes
• Sun, May 31 2009


Wexford Youths beat a below par Waterford United side 2-1 at the RSC tonight. Gavin Doyle and Gary Sheehan got the goals for the away side and Willie John Kiely pulled one back for the Blues. The result dents Waterford’s bid for the title but Wexford will be reveling in a fantastic result against the league’s form side.

The first half was an entertaining affair with both sides attacking and Waterford looking particularly suspect at the back. Kenny Browne and Kevin Murray have been outstanding all season but were struggling to cope with Sheehan and Doyle’s pace up front for Wexford. Full-back Declan Woodgate was getting a rare start for the Blues and looked out of place as Wexford relentlessly targeted the 20-year-old. Limerick announced their intentions as early as the sixth minute when Doyle raced onto a through ball but Michael Devine got there just in time. Wexford centre-back David Breen was playing against his former club and could have scored in the 13th minute when he rose highest from a corner but headed straight at Devine. A minute later Willie John Kiely got in front of his man but glanced Alan Carey’s cross just wide. The Blues’ top-scorer had another chance in the 20th minute when his strike-partner Graham Cummins escaped down the right and crossed low to Kiely, with his back to goal, he improvised a back-heel which Packie Holden reacted well to stop. A minute later, Woodgate stooped for a header which was deflected into the path of Conor Sinnott 4-yards out, but Devine reacted well to block his shot.

The opening goal came in the 27th minute and it was the visitors who got it. Doyle was felled by Browne and he stepped up to curl home the free-kick from 25-yards. It was a deserved goal for Wexford as Waterford had never really got going. They could have been back in it however on the half-hour, Carey’s corner went over the head of Holden and Kevin Waters headed low at the back post, only for Holden to pounce as the ball crept towards the line. The last chance of the half fell for Kiely when he mishit Paul McCarthy’s cross wide from six yards.

The league leaders needed a wake-up call during the interval but regardless of whether they got it or not, they continued the second-half in much the same manner as the first. Two minutes into the half John Kearney played a one-two with Kiely and fired wide from the edge of the area. One minute later Sinnott played in Doyle, who raced past Murray but couldn’t finish, his shot saved easily by Devine. Wexford were defending manfully and looking very threatening on the counter-attack. The game was quite end to end and the next goal was always going to be crucial. It came for the away side in the 72nd minute, Sinnott played a long-ball over the top and Sheehan was the only winner in the foot-race which followed. The striker gathered the ball and struck low past Devine to issue Waterford a killer blow in their pursuit of ten unbeaten games in a row. That goal should have put the home side out of the game but one minute later they reduced the deficit back to one goal. Carey swung over a corner and Murray nodded the ball low for Kiely to sweep home from four yards for his 10th league goal of the campaign.

The Blues now pushed on in search of an ill-deserved equalizer but their play still lacked any real urgency. McCarthy drew a fine save from Holden away to his left in the 76th minute before the ‘keeper brilliantly touched a Graham Cummins over the bar two minutes later. The points were slipping away from Waterford and Breen was overseeing a defensive master class. The Suirsiders’ final chance came in the 91st minute when Wexford substitute Shane Dempsey blocked Murray’s shot inside the box.

The final whistle confirmed a deserved win for Mick Wallace’s men and put a dent in Waterford’s title ambitions, although they stay top on goal difference following UCD’s loss to Sporting Fingal.

Waterford United: Michael Devine; Alan Carey, Declan Woodgate (David Grincell 74), Kevin Murray, Kenny Browne; John Kearney, Paul McCarthy, Kevin Waters, Kieran Fitzgerald (Gary Dunphy 60); Willie John Kiely, Graham Cummins. Subs not Used: Joe Mulcahy, Kevin Burns, Paul Carey.

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden; Peter White, David Breen, Liam O’ Loughlin (Gareth McCurtin 63), Anthony Russell; Paul Rossiter, Conor Sinnott, Patsy Malone, Robert Vickers; Gary Sheehan, Gavin Doyle (Shane Dempsey 81). Subs not Used: Martin Keogh, Shane Sinnott, Richie Fitzgerald.

Referee: Keith Callanan (Cork)

Attendance: 615

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: David Breen. The centre-back totally nullified Graham Cummins and was excellent all game against his former employers.