WYW v Shelbourne LFC (WNL Shield Final)

Tonight's match with k.o. at 7.30pm will be streamed live on the FAi website.

wnl.fai.ie/news/567-wnl-shield-final-to-be-streamed-live.html …

Also usual audio commentary on

mixlr.com/wexfordyouths.

Another close game between two evenly matched sides but less open than in previous games and decided by a single goal. WYW began with Tamara, Nicola, Jess, Edel, Lolly, Emma, Kylie, Becky, Linda, and with Ruth playing behind Claire up front. Shelbourne started well and moved the ball around nicely and, in the first few minutes, the dangerous Siobhan Killeen for Shels had a good chance down the right, but a heavy touch turned it into an easy grab for Tamara Furlong in the WYW goal. On ten minutes, Claire O'Riordan had WYW's first chance when she made space down the right and cracked a good effort tothe near post, but Amanda McQuillan in the Shels goal was able to push itaround the post for a corner. WYW's midfield then started to dominate, and on 24 minutes Kylie Murphy had a run and a left-footed shot from just outsidethe box but it went a yard wide. Aboutthe half-hour mark, Shels had two dangerous corners in a row, but the WYW defence managed to hold out. Pearl Slattery for Shels then got a yellow for a tackle on WYW's Ruth Fahy. On 35 minutes, what turned out to be the decisive goal was scored when Emma Hansberry for WYW took a free from the right which Kylie Murphy managed to head against the corner of the bar and it fell a yard out from goal to Edel Kennedy who blasted it to the roof of the net. 1-0 to WYW. Claire O'Riordan then nearly made it 2-0 when she headed the ball over McQuillan in the Shels goal, but it was cleared off the line by the last Shels defender. 1-0 to WYW at half-time.

Shels brought on U17 international Leanne Kiernan at half-time who is an undoubted star of the future. She immediately had a good run down the right and WYW's Nicola Sinnott had to head the resulting cross over her own bar for a corner. Tamara Furlong then had to react well to punch away another corner by Shels. WYW were still winning the battle inmidfield at this stage and, on 70 minutes, Kylie Murphy was able to dispossess a Shels defender but McQuillan was able to push the effort to safety. Aisling Frawley and Shauna Wall then came on as subs for WYW. As the game went into the last ten minutes, Tamara had to save from Leanne Kiernan and Siobhan Killeen nearly copied her goal from the cup final last November, but this time it went a yard wide. With three minutes to go of normal time,Kiernan had a chance against Furlong in the Wexford goal which fell to her left peg, but she wasn't able to keep it on target. Final sub for WYW was Amy Walsh and WYW confirmed themselves first holders of the shield a few minutes later on a 1-0 scoreline.

Best for Wexford were the defence of Nicola, Jess and Lolly who were largely untroubled other than during the last ten minutes while the WYW midfield won the pivotal battle of the game and Claire O'Riordan caused all sorts of problems for the Shels defence until she was substituted. For Shels, Siobhan Killeen again looked classy on whichever wing she was operating, while Leanne Kiernan was very impressive during her 45 minutes. 1-0 to WYW at full-time with about 350 at the match.