UCD

[ForzaForth]

For anyone interested, it's planned to have audio commentary on tonight's match at the new link (8pm kick-off).

www.mixlr.com/wexfordfc

[ForzaForth]

Wexford will be disappointed not to take all three points in Ferrycarrig tonight as they conceded a late free-kick in the final minutes to UCD which Gary O'Neill converted well from outside the box. As a result, the spoils were shared. After the insipid performance in Cabinteely, Wexford manager Damian Locke will be much happier after tonight's game. Wexford began with Graham, Ricky, Ross, Craig McCabe, Andy, Liam, Crokey, Craig Wall, Duxey, Sean and with Craig Hayes up front. Playing against a strong breeze in the first half, Wexford began quite conservatively and left Craig Hayes on his own up front with Crokey being the most advanced of the midfield three. UCD found it hard to break Wexford down and the first half largely became a stalemate until about five minutes before the end of that period. Ricky Fox picked up an early and harsh yellow for an obstruction after about five minutes. The resulting free curled past the far post with Graham Doyle looking like he was confident that it was not going in. Crokey got Wexford's first shot after seven minutes but it proved an easy save for UCD's netminder, Corbett. The advanced players for Wexford, namely, Liam Donnelly and Sean Hurley on the wings and Craig Hayes up front, were however much more willing to attack the ball and it showed that Damian Locke had learnt the lessons of the Cabinteely match. Just after the half-hour, Craig McCabe was a bit lucky to only get a yellow when he handled the ball on the ground about ten yards outside the box to prevent a goal-scoring opportunity. UCD's Gary O'Neill hit the resulting free-kick into the wall. With five minutes to go in the half and with little having occurred to trouble either keeper, Graham Doyle did well to push away a chip by a UCD attacker which was going into the top left corner of the net. Immediately afterwards, UCD were awarded a peno for a push in the box which was given by the assistant referee, but Graham Doyle showed his penalty-saving ability by getting down low to his right to save Gary O'Neill's spot-kick. 0-0 at half-time and Wexford would have the advantage of the breeze in the second half.

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Wexford largely dominated the second period with the midfield three of Craig Wall, Duxey Dunne and Thomas Croke snuffing out any attempts by UCD to play the ball in Wexford's half. The question was could Wexford score and they did just that on 51 minutes when a short corner was chipped to the far post by Crokey which Ross Kenny met with a firm header to put the home side 1-0 in front. An error by Corbett in the UCD goal then gave Craig Hayes a chance to put the home side further in front, but Hayes couldn't keep his shot into an empty goal on target. With the Wexford midfield dominant, it looked like Wexford would gain all three points. Substitutes introduced by Damian Locke during the latter part of the half included new signing Sean Eve (apparently from Gibraltar) and Jamie Fox making his first appearance. However, with three minutes to go of the 90, UCD were awarded a free about 25 yards out which Wexford shouldn't have conceded as the UCD player had his back to goal and wasn't going anywhere. Gary O'Neill atoned for his penalty miss by curling the free over the wall to give Graham Doyle no chance and it finished soon afterwards on a 1-1 scoreline.

In addition to Wexford's midfield trio, best for the home side were Ricky Fox and Sean Hurley but the whole side worked their socks off to try to protect the one goal lead. Attendance was called as 242.