WYW v Galway (League Cup S/F)

Galway will feel that they deserved to bring this game at least to extra-time in Ferrycarrig tonight as WYW laboured to put their stamp on this League Cup semi-final, but WYW had the magic of Emma Hansberry to thank as she created the first goal and then scored the winner. Wexford started with Ciamh, Nicola, Lauren, Lolly, Doireann, Emma, Kylie, Edel, Orla, Katrina and with Rianna up front. First half was very scrappy with WYW sloppy at the back on occasions, mainly by hitting their passes/clearances from the back too flat. They may not get away with the same errors in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers in Belfast next week. However, with Edel Kennedy and Kylie Murphy playing well in midfield and Katrina Parrock having one of her best games out wide, chances did come to the home side from time to time. On 15 minutes, Doireann Fahey had a good run down the left, and her cross was met by Edel Kennedy but Tina Hughes in the Galway goal was able to push it away for a corner. Emma Hansberry’s corners again posed difficulty for Galway and, with ten minutes to go, Orla Casey had a volley over the bar when picked out by Rianna Jarrett. 0-0 at half-time with few enough chances for either side.

Second half started with Edel Kennedy nearly turning in a Hansberry free but Hughes was able to grab it at the second attempt. Galway then had a good chance of their own when a free found a Galway player in the box but a cushion volley resulted which went straight to Ciamh Dollard in the Wexford goal who was able to hold on with ease. Orla Casey then forced a corner from Tina Hughes and, from that corner, Emma Hansberry’s delivery was met at the far post by Katrina Parrock’s head and Wexford were a goal to the good. Aisling Frawley then came on as sub and immediately found Rianna Jarrett free in the penalty area, but the latter couldn’t get her shot away before Hughes intervened. However, Galway found an equalizer when a free from well out the pitch found a Galway head which looped over Dollard and it was 1-1. More sloppiness in the Wexford defence allowed Galway through on goal, with Lolly Conlon forced to give up a free and take a yellow card. The dead-ball by Galway’s Aislinn Meaney looked to be going in until Ciamh Dollard somehow managed to push it into the Wexford bar and away with a great save.

Turning point of the game came with just about ten minutes to go. Galway sub Lucia Lobato was one-on-one with Dollard and could only hit the Wexford cross-bar and then immediately the ball broke down the pitch where it fell to Hansberry who accurately chipped Hughes from over 30 yards out with her trademark type of goal. Final sub for Wexford was new signing, McKenna Davidson, who put one nice cross into the Galway area and game finished soon afterwards on basis of 2-1 scoreline which allows Wexford to proceed to the final. Tough on Galway who put in a much better performance than in the recent league game at the same venue.