Mervue

[ForzaForth]

Late rally by Wexford couldn't conceal what was otherwise a disjointed performance at home tonight where Mervue went away with the three points. Wexford started with Graham in goal, a back four of Shane, Gary, scally and Corkey, a midfield of Eric, Brian, Craig and Rocks and Joey and Danny up front. After two, Craig had a low shot which went just wide. However, Mervue had the tidier forward unit on the night with Pat Hoban outstanding and, Mervue couldn't convert a good chance in the third minute when Graham blocked away ab effort by a Mervue forward in the clear and coming in from the left. After eight, Joey had a clever first-time lob from 35 out which landed on the top of the net with the Mervue keeper scrambling. However, in the 12th minute, Mervue went ahead when a cross from the left by Hoban was put away by Molloy about twelve out and centrally for 1-0 to the away side. After 25, a good one-two put Shane Nolan away but his shot was blocked away by the Mervue keeper with his legs. Just after the half-hour, Wexford broke from a Mervue corner and Eric set up Shane but his shot went just over the bar. With seven to go, Craig got a yellow for a tackle and just before the blow, a Mervue header went just over from a free for a 1-0 score to Mervue at half-time.

[ForzaForth]

First goal in the second half was always going to be crucial and Mervue nearly got it in the first minute when Hoban again did some damage down Wexford's right and his low cross was hammered off the bottom of the crossbar and then bounce down and away by the incoming Mervue forward. After five, Rocks sent in a low cross/shot which nearly ended up in the net but it went narrowly wide. Game had a long lean spell thereafter with Mervue slowing it dwn at every opportunity. After twenty gone in the second period, Tom came on for Eric and a bit more urgency was introduced in the Wexford side. Just three minutes after the switch, Wexford had the ball in the net when Tom put pressure on the Mervue keeper who dropped it and Rocks stabbing it home, but it was ruled out. However, on the half-hour mark, Mervue got their second when Hoban got onto the end of a free-kick to head it wide of Graham for 2-0 to Mervue. With ten to go, Joey and his opposite marker got yellows for a bout of handbags.

[ForzaForth]

However, with five to go, Tom got into the Mervue box with possession and was bundled over for a peno for the home side. Tom got up to take it himself and put it wide to the keeper's left for 2-1. Clarkey and Deano then came on for Danny and Gary and Wexford charged forward in search of the equaliser and were able to create a couple of shots which were blocked away for corners. One final chance fell to Tom who looked off but wasn't given and he just couldn't steer the ball goalwards with his first touch and it went narrowly wide. Ref blew up shortly afterwards for a 2-1 win for the away side.

[ForzaForth]

Best for Wexford on a bad night were Craig, who worked his socks off in midfield and Joey. However, too many wrong options were taken by the Wexford players at times and too many sloppy passes to give the ball away cheaply to the away side. In contrast, Mervue were neater going forward and Hoban, in particular, brought his team-mates into play at virtually every opportunity to give a better momentum to the away side going forward. Wexford's changes could have been made much earlier and it might have made a difference. Attendance was called as 202.