Wexford FC v Shamrock Rovers II

Wexford paid the price for a first half in which they gave Rovers II too much space and time to let the visitors get their possession game going and easily take the three points in Ferrycarrig tonight. With Jack Larkin injured, Wexford made one change from their winning team of last week by bring in Patrick O’Sullivan, and went with Tom, Dan, Jay, James, Craig, Karl Fitzsimons, Conor, Charlie, Patrick and with Jack Doherty up front. From the start, it was Rovers II who dominated the game and they went in front on four minutes when a diagonal Rovers pass found Brandon Kavanagh in space on the right wing and he curled a nice shot into the top left corner of the goal for 1-0 to Rovers. On ten minutes, Kavanagh of Rovers had a free which bounced narrowly wide of Tom Murphy’s post in the goal for Wexford. With thirteen minutes gone, Rovers got an identical goal to their first except that it was from the other side of the pitch when another diagonal pass found Dylan Duffy in the clear on the left and another curling shot to the top right corner this time put Rovers two ahead and Wexford hadn’t yet got going in the game. After a Karl Manahan yellow on the half-hour, Rovers II nearly made it 3-0 with another attempt on goal when in space, but this time it wasn’t kept on target. Playing Jack Doherty alone up front meant that Wexford allowed Rovers to pass the ball around with ease at the back and Wexford hardly had a sniff of the ball prior to half-time. 2-0 to Rovers at half-time.

Wexford played with more urgency in the second half and had a real chance on six minutes when Jack Doherty ran clear against Alex Moody in the Rovers goal, but his attempted dink of the Rovers keeper couldn’t clear the Hoops keeper who managed to get a hand to it and paw the ball away. With just after a quarter-hour gone, Rovers hit the outside of the Wexford post after a really good move down their left. Wexford then had a shout for a peno when Moody tried to grab the ball when racing out of his goal but instead bundled over a Wexford attacker but nothing was given. With 15 minutes to go, Kristian Crawford replaced Patrick O’Sullivan for Wexford. With nine minutes to go, Wexford again looked for a peno when Jack Doherty was taken down inside the Rovers area but again nothing was given. With three minutes left, Wexford’s Craig Giles got a straight red when he played the Rovers attacker when trying to get at the ball, but it looked more a yellow card offence to me. Playing with ten men, Karl Fitzsimons also fashioned a late chance for Wexford but this one went wide. So, very comfortable for Rovers II, particularly in the first half when Wexford needed to knock Rovers out of their rhythm but couldn’t do so. 2-0 to Rovers at full-time.