Shelbourne 4 - 2 Wexford Youths

• Niall Farrell
• Fri, Mar 18 2011


An impressive attacking display saw Shelbourne through on a clear night in Drumcondra, but they didn't have it all their own way- 4-2 the final scoreline against Wexford Youths.

Goals from Kevin Dawson, Phily Hughes, Stephen Paisley and David Cassidy gave Shels a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes before Wexford got two back through a Danny Furlong penalty and Garret McCurtin.

Shelbourne grabbed hold of the match early on, and never really let go for most of the first half. A three-goal salvo between the eleventh and seventeenth minutes pushed the home side into a dominant position.

Kevin Dawson opened the scoring for Shels after some early pressure, hammering the ball in from close range after Conan Byrne chested the ball down in the Wexford penalty area for his former Fingal teammate to finish.

Three minutes later Phily Hughes doubled the lead with his first goal in Shels colours since rejoining from Monaghan. Hughes flicked the ball on at the near post after a fine cross from Ian Ryan, who won the ball on the right flank after losing it the first time.

Stephen Paisley followed up with a third goal on 17 minutes after a goalkeeping calamity. Ian Ryan's cross deflected off Wexford's Anthony Wolfe and rose high for Packie Holden to flap at before it hit the crossbar and fell for Stephen Paisley to tap in.

Shels had it all their own way for most of the first half, scoring a fourth goal through David Cassidy after he flicked on another Ian Ryan cross on 41 minutes. Youths clawed one back on the stroke of half time, winning a penalty after Barry Clancy brought Danny Furlong down. Furlong duly converted to give Wexford the faintest glimmer of hope.

That faintest glimmer was all Wexford needed to spur them on for the second half, and Youths came out looking a lot more dangerous. David McGill and Conan Byrne had chances early in the second half, but Youths weathered the storm and got a second goal on 65 minutes. David McGill conceded a corner under pressure, and substitute Garret McCurtin's poke at the ball somehow evaded all the Shels defenders and found its way into the goal.

Shels went in search of a goal to peg Youths back, but again the visitors were able to hold out and counter-attack. On 74 minutes they could have scored again- Ben Ryan rattling the crossbar with a free-kick from just outside the Shels box. The Shels box was again the centre of action five minutes later when a haphazard clearance led Dean Delany and Patsy Malone to clash. Malone was booked for jumping unfairly, and Delany was taken off clutching his jaw.

The final ten minutes grew frantic, with Shels and Youths taking it turns to attack. On 90 minutes Youths could have scored after a scramble in the six-yard box, but the ball was belted clear. Seven minutes were added on due to the injury to Dean Delany and after three of those minutes, Wexford had another free in awarded just outside the Shels box after Dave Grincell went down, but Ben Ryan's shot went straight into the wall. Despite having the bulk of the possession in the closing minutes. Youths were unable to score again and the match ended 4-2 to the home side.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany [Paul Skinner '83], Ian Ryan, Barry Clancy, Andy Boyle, Stephen Paisley, Kevin Dawson. David McGill, David Cassidy [Chris Mulhall '67], Philip Hughes [Karl Bermingham '64], Conan Byrne, Brendan McGill
Substitutes Not Used: Lorcan Fitzgerald, Colm James, Gareth Mathews, John Sullivan

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden, Karl Keogh, Martin Kehoe, Anto Russell, Anthony Wolfe [Dave Grincell HT], Patsy Malone, Ben Ryan, Greg Yelverton, Danny Furlong, Darragh Walshe [Garret McCurtin HT], Shane Nolan [Kevin Rowe '67]
Substitutes Not Used: Craig Wall, Muzzi Mullen, Dean Broaders

Referee: Paul McLaughlin

Attendance: 812

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Ian Ryan