Shelbourne 3 - 0 Wexford Youths

• Niall Farrell
• Sat, Sep 03 2011


Two supreme Philip Hughes finishes and a late Sean Byrne goal gave Shelbourne a 3-0 win against Wexford Youths at Tolka Park on Saturday night as the Reds extended their lead at the top of the First Division table.

The Hughes brace came through a second minute goal and another in the 23rd minute. Shels completely dominated the match and a Sean Byrne goal in the 93rd minute sealed the win. 

David Cassidy burst through the Youths defence after two minutes and he profited from a lucky bounce of the ball to go past keeper Packie Holden and roll the ball into an open goal. But Cassidy, captaining Shels in the absence of  David McGill, was judged to have fouled Holden on the way through and the goal was disallowed. 

A minute later Philly Hughes opened the scoring with a well-struck shot inside the Wexford box. Brendan McGill crossed well from the left for Hughes to take the ball down and hit it powerfully past Holden.

Hughes scored with a similar effort after 24 minutes, this time chesting the ball down closer to the Youths goal and side-footing the ball past Holden. Youths went closest on the half hour mark when Tom Elmes pulled his volley from Dean Delany's right hand post, wide of the other upright.

Youths rarely threatened Shels though and the Reds could have been ahead by more at half time. Conan Byrne's rasping 30-yard shot was palmed away by Holden but could have been a spectacular goal had the Wexford 'keeper not got across to it.

David Cassidy caused Wexford a lot of trouble on the night and went close a minute before half-time, glancing the ball wide right in front of Holden after Colm James played a low ball into the Youths box from midfield.

Packie Holden denied Conan Byrne again just after the break, saving a good shot from the Shels midfielder after the ball was crossed to him by Lorcan Fitzgerald. Minutes later Byrne's cross for David Cassidy was cleared before it could threaten the Wexford goal.

Although the pace of the match was considerably slower for most of the second half, Shels never really looked like conceding. Youths offered very little on the attack and never kept the ball for more than a few consecutive passes.

After 67 minutes Conan Byrne ran past two defenders, turning inside and then outside the second, before his low shot was saved by the outstretched foot of Holden. A dipping Danny Furlong shot after 75 minutes, which didn't really test Dean Delany, was as close as the Youths got in the second half.

Philly Hughes could have got his hat-trick with 13 minutes left, his shot from 25 yards left of the goal parried by Holden. Shels were consistently in control for the remainder of the match and fully deserved their 2-0 win, but they might have felt that the winning margin could have been greater.

But any concerns that the scoreline did not reflect the home side's dominance were quietened in the third minute of added time when Sean Byrne poked the ball in after a goalmouth scramble.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany; Gareth Matthews, Andy Boyle, Stephen Paisley, Ian Ryan, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Colm James, David Cassidy, Conan Byrne, Brendan McGill [Sean Byrne '80]; Philly Hughes.
Subs not used: Paul Skinner, Barry Clancy, Kevin Dawson, Chris Mulhall, Karl Bermingham, David Da Silva.

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden; Mark Phelan, Karl Keogh, Martin Kehoe, Patsy Malone [Joseph Barry Wallace '65]; Craig Wall [Muzzy Mullen '30], Eoin Kinsella [James Darmody '54], Shane Dempsey, Shane Nolan; Danny Furlong, Tom Elmes.
Subs not used: None.

Referee: Keith Callanan.
Attendance: 532.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Philly Hughes.