Shamrock Rovers (Friendly)

[ForzaForth]

Anyone got a definite time for tonight's (Friday) friendly in IT Carlow against Shamrock Rovers? Rovers website says 7.30pm while Wexford sources say 8pm? Thanks.

[ForzaForth]

Damian Locke will, I think, be very pleased with the performance of his side in IT Carlow tonight as Shamrock Rovers went away with a 1-0 win on the artificial surface in IT Carlow. Wexford started with Graham Doyle, Craig McCabe, Eoin McCormack, Ross Kenny, Andy O'Connor, Mark Slater, Craig Wall, John McKeown, Shane 'Duxey' Dunne, Sean Hurley and with Lee Duffy playing up front on his own. The pitch in Carlow is quite tight and you don't get a lot of time on the ball. Wexford's midfield three of Craig, John and Duxey closed down very effectively and, as a result, Rovers who had a lot of possession, found it hard to create chances. However, Rovers scored with their first decent chance when a through-ball put Davis (?) in the clear and his shot was deflected over the head of Graham Doyle for the only goal of the game. Neither side then troubled the opposing goalkeeper until the half-hour mark when Shane Dunne had Wexford's first effort on goal from distance, but it went several yards wide. Two minutes later, Sean Hurley put Lee Duffy in on goal but it was a difficult angle and he couldn't get the shot on target. With five minutes to go in the half. Graham Doyle in the Wexford goal punched away a deflected cross by Rovers from the left, but the rebound was ballooned over.

[ForzaForth]

The second half started with the usual raft of substitutions, and Wexford introduced during the second period at least Thomas Croke, Conor Sutton, Liam George, Craig Hayes, Vinny Quinlan, Eoin Porter, Corey Chambers and two trialists. The changes by Wexford allowed Rovers to dominate possession even more for much of the early period of the second half, but they couldn't get the scoreboard to tick over with 'Mr. Cool' Craig McCabe having to head over his own cross-bar on one occasion. However, the additional physicality offered by Eoin Porter up front began to pay dividends and Wexford nearly scored on 25 minutes but for a Rover's defence who managed to scramble a dangerous cross away for a corner. Rovers then had a chip to the far post which went just over and a header which hit the top of the crossbar and over with two minutes to go to leave the score at 1-0 to Rovers at full-time. Best for Wexford were the industrious midfield of Craig, John and Duxey while the centre-back pair of Ross and Eoin looked very comfortable throughout. 1-0 to Rovers at full-time for whom Simon Madden was by far the outstanding player playing wide right.