Wexford FC v Cobh

[ForzaForth]

Perfect result to whet the appetite for the first leg of the play-off game between the same teams at the same venue on Tuesday week as Wexford and Cobh played out a 3-3 game in Ferrycarrig this afternoon. Wexford started with a number of changes from their usual starting XI with Charlie, Hughie, Brandon, Mark, Luka, Corban, Kian, Reece, Cian, Max and Thomas. It was a low-key start to the game as it took 13 minutes to have a decent effort on goal when Wexford’s Kian Corbally had an effort on the Cobh goal but it was saved low down to his left by Steacy in the Cobh goal. Cobh had a purple patch from 16 minutes onwards when a gentle back-header by Cian O’Malley deceived Charlie Heffernan in the Wexford goal and after the ball hit the Wexford post, it gave a Cobh attacker a simple chance for 1-0 to Cobh. It became 2-0 to Cobh three minutes later when a Wexford defender was challenged on his blindside in his own penalty area so that, instead of making contact with the ball, he made contact with a Cobh attacker. A peno was awarded and Jack Doherty converted to put the away side 2-0 ahead. Both sides had a great chance apiece when Wexford’s Thomas Oluwa headed tamely into the arms of Steacy in the Cobh goal and then Cobh’s Wilson Waweru couldn’t miss with a header in front of the Wexford goal but did to leave the score at 2-0 to Cobh. Wexford got back into the game on 38 minutes when a drilled cross hit a Cobh defender inside the Cobh area. A harsh penalty for handball was given and Thomas Oluwa converted to bring Wexford back into the game at 1-2. 1-2 to Cobh at halftime.

[ForzaForth]

Wexford brought on Dobbsy and Danny Furlong at halftime, and Wexford looked better as a result but Wilson Waweru then stretched Cobh’s lead on six minutes when he turned and smacked a shot into the top corner to put Cobh 3-1 ahead. After eleven minutes, Wexford brought on the Levingston brothers (Darragh and Conor) and Ben Lynch. Wexford then began to take over the game – is Wexford’s bench better than Cobh’s? – and, with Conor Levo calling the shots, it wasn’t a surprise when Wexford pulled another goal back when Conor Levo had a tap-in after a really good Wexford passing spell. Conor Levo followed that by picking out his brother, Darragh, with an exquisite pass, to enable Darragh to lift the ball over the advancing Steacy in the Cobh goal and it was 3-3. As the game entered the final seconds, Dobbsy had a great chance for Wexford at the far post to give Wexford a winning lead but somehow couldn’t make contact. 3-3 at full-time. Best for Wexford were those who haven’t got much gametime recently including Max Kelly, Conor Levingston and Hugh Douglas while Dobbsy has to start on Tuesday week. For Cobh, their game centres around the brilliant Jack Doherty. Probably too close to call confidently over the two legs in the play-offs. Crowd was believed to be 602.