- Peter Doyle
- Sun, Feb 03 2013
Wexford Youths extended their unbeaten run to eleven games and remain in contention for the league title after playing out a one all draw with fellow contenders Raheny United in a breezy Ferrycarrig Park. The pitch passed inspection on Saturday afternoon and showed no ill effects of the recent poor weather as the teams took to the field in front of a sizeable crowd with official figures coming in just under two hundred.
The game lived up to its billing as a top of the table clash with both sides starting at a frantic pace with both sides trying to impose themselves on the game and it was the home side who achieved this in the opening half.
Playing with the heavy breeze behind them, Wexford bombarded the visitors goal for the opening ten minutes but the Raheny defence held firm and kept the home side at bay. The speedy Ashling Frawley was causing all sorts of problems as she linked up well with Rianna Jarrett while Ciara Rossiter was cutting in well from the left side of midfield.
The breakthrough came on eighteen minutes when Rossiter found Jarrett who made space and fired the ball to the bottom corner from twenty yards giving Grace McCauley Ryan in the Raheny goal no chance. Moments later a long range shot from Edel Kennedy was well saved and Wexford should have been two up on twenty five minutes but Ryan saved well again when she pushed away a Maria Delahunty corner.
At this stage, the North Dublin side began to push forward and created some of their best chances of the half with Sinead O'Farrelly going close and Rebecca Creagh brought a good save from Wexford keeper Mary Rose Kelly. Wexford pushed forward near the end of the half but found the breeze difficult to deal with and wasted a few which it was always feared would prove costly.
The second half saw the visitors immediately go in search of an equaliser and the Wexford defence were made to work hard to keep them at bay and Kelly was called on to make three top class saves in succession. The home side did manage to press forward and were awarded a free on the edge of the box which Jarrett just sent over the crossbar.
Raheny then produced a sustained level of pressure that eventually ended up with Noelle Murray slotting the ball low to the corner of the net from twenty five yards out.
Conceding the goal gave the home side the kick start they needed and renewed their attack on the visitors goal with player of the match Ciara Rossiter causing havoc on the left wing and one of her weaving runs saw her beat five players before laying the ball off to Rachel Hutchinson whose shot just went wide of the post.
This was the last real chance of the game for either side and referee Michelle O Neill sounded the final whistle on what was an intriguing encounter. A draw was probably a fair result in the end and keeps both sides in contention but was of far more benefit to Peamount United who moved back top of the league courtesy of this draw and their five one win over Cork Women.
Best on the day for the home side were Ciara Rossiter, a very hard working Ashling Frawley and defender Lauren Dwyer who crowned off a great day when she was presented with the International Under Seventeen award.
Best for Raheny were Noelle Murray, Caroline Thorpe and the very hard working and resilient Katie McCabe.
Wexford Youths: Mary Rose Kelly, Lucy Sherwin, Clare Conlon, Jessica Gleeson, Lauren Dwyer, Edel Kennedy, Linda Douglas, Maria Delahunty, Ciara Rossiter, Ashling Frawley, Rianna Jarrett
Subs: Krista Minto, Rachel Hutchinson, Laura Heffernan, Tamara Furlong, Beserta Ajeti, Amy Walsh, Kylie Murphy
Rahney United: Grace McCauley Ryan, Megan Campbell, Caroline Thorpe, Shauna Newman, Rebecca Creagh, Rachel Graham, Katie McCabe, Noelle Murray, Niamh Walsh, Ciara Grant, Mary Waldron,
Subs: Niamh Reid Burke, Laura Ryan, Sinead O Farrelly, Catherine Cronin, Kate McKeever, Pearl Slattery
Referee: Michelle O Neill
Attendance: 195 (Estimated)
