Cork

[ForzaForth]

Battling performance by the Youths secured a valuable point for them in Turners Cross tonight in a very entertaining game, although Cork will doubtless feel that they should have put away more of their chances to secure the win. With Anto Russell missing for, I believe, marital reasons, Noel made one change from the team which started against Salthill with Deano coming in with Packie, Shane, Karl, Murt, Deano, Robert, Greg, Craig, Ben and Darragh and Danny up front. Wexford took a long time to get used to the pace and power of Cork who started well with two early corners, the second of which led to Packie saving a low shot from the clearance. After five, Cork went ahead when a free-kick found Cummins about ten out with an unforgivably free header and he put it away with ease for 1-0 to the home side.

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Sullivan then had a good volley saved by Packie and after 12, the Youths had their first effort, a shot by Robert, tipped over the bar by McNulty. O'Brien, doing well on Cork's left wing then came in from the left, hit Packie with a shot and put the rebound into the side netting. Cummins then went over in the box with a shout for a peno. but it wasn't given. Packie then pushed a Horgan shot over the bar and another Cork header from a free-kick hammered off the cross-bar. A volleyed effort by Danny was saved comfortably by McNulty, Darragh miscued another effort and O'Brien had an effort for Cork blocked away just before half-time. One-nil at half-time with Wexford happy enough to be only one down.

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Cork started the second half very brightly and Sullivan put a difficult header just wide. O'Brien then smacked two successive low crosses into the box but the oncoming Cork forwards couldn't get on the end of either. Wexford then had their best spell of the game with McNulty at full stretch pushing Craig's shot away and Danny having a free header from a corner but putting it wide. Craig was then taken down just outside the box with a yellow for the Cork defender but Ben put the resulting effort well over. Shane D. then came on for Greg and Danny was put away on the left, with time to take a couple of touches and put it comfortably past McNulty's left for 1-1. Darragh then outpaced the Cork centre-half down the right, held the ball up and crossed low for Danny but he couldn't get a first-time shot on target.

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With twenty to go, Cork pressed hard for the lead with Horgan running clear down the right but shooting wide and Packie having to two make two good saves from Cork forwards in the clear. Grinny then came on for Robert with a few minutes to go. Just as the fourth official called six minutes of injury-time, Packie punched away a Cork free-kick towards the corner of the endline and the box and charged out after it. The linesman flagged for him either impeding or grabbing the Cork forward also going for the ball with a peno. award for Cork. Escude-Candou, who had come on as a sub. put it to Packie's left for 2-1. Tom Elmes came on for Ben and, amazingly, Wexford equalised again almost right from the kick-off when they won a free-kick in midfield. Packie planted it into the box and it broke free to McNulty's right. Didn't get a great view of what happened next, but the ball landed at Tom Elmes's feet and he put it away into the empty net for 2-2. Not sure if it was a McNulty mistake or whether he was impeded but it looked his ball all the way.

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In the remaining few minutes, the Youths had a chance to snatch the winner when Craig beat McNulty to a ball outside the box, but the ball bounced head high with Craig's back to goal, and he couldn't hook it over his head into the empty net with McNulty out of position. Another run and shot by the excellent Horgan then ended the match on a 2-2 scoreline. With a battling effort, best for Wexford were Packie in goal (mad forays outside the box excepted), Craig who was outstanding in midfield and who showed great heart in getting forward and Danny and my man of the match, Darragh up front, who gave the Cork halves trouble all night. Cork had two outstanding wingers, Horgan and O'Brien, who ran riot for most of the match with Turner, the right back, also combining well with Horgan, especially in the first. 2-2 at full time.