Mervue

[ForzaForth]

Deserved win by the away side in Ferrycarrig tonight but helped greatly by poor Wexford defending particularly for the first two goals which more or less killed the game as a contest. Youths started with their usual 4-4-2 of Graham, Craig, Gary, Donal, Shane, Clarkey, Eric, Brian, Daryl and with Graham and Daragh up front. First ten or so was fairly even and best early chance fell to Clarkey who latched onto a long pass by Daryl but just failed to lift it over the advancing Malley in the Mervue goal. Two minutes later, a Mervue attacker beat the offside trap of Wexford but shot a yard wide. On 13 minutes, Brian Nolan had a run and a shot but it went straight to Malley. On 17 minutes, Daragh hit the post with a free-kick after being fouled outside the box. Then, on 20 minutes, slightly against the run of play a very long ball landed between the square Wexford defence and Graham and Shanahan lifted it over the stranded Graham for 1-0 to Mervue. Craig's long throws were causing some problems to the Mervue defence but the killer goal came just after the half-hour when Wexford gave the ball away well inside their own half leaving Walsh to run at Graham in the Youth's goal and stab it past him for 2-0 to Mervue. Conneely limped off about five minutes before half-time for Mervue to be replaced by Duffy for a 2-0 score for the away side on the half-time blow.

[ForzaForth]

Wexford needed to score early in the second half but didn't and the match ended as a contest from then on. On eight minutes, Mervue's O'Mahony got a yellow for a tackle on Shane. On 12 minutes, another long ball from Mervue put the Wexford defence n trouble, and Graham made an excellent save from Shanahan to keep the score at 2-0. With twenty minutes gone, Daragh had the ball in the net from a cross by Craig McCabe but it was ruled out for offside. On 26 minutes, Graham saved another Mervue effort but the ball rebounded to Shanahan who rounded Graham and passed it into the empty net for 3-0. Three later, Shanahan set up Tom King who only had to pass it into the empty net for 4-0. King then hit the post before Daragh latched onto a ball given away by Mervue in their own half and forced it past Malley for 4-1. Robert and Caolan came on for Donal and Daryl with about 15 minutes to go, and a change of approach was probably needed by Wexford earlier than that. Last few minutes included a header by Gary which went straight to Malley in the Mervue goal and a yellow for Duffy for Mervue for standing too close to a free-kick.

[ForzaForth]

Finished up then 4-1 to Mervue with quite a difference between the two sides in terms of use of the ball and spotting a pass. Best for Wexford were probably Shane and Brian Nolan. Ref was a visitor from Malta on an exchange and looked better than most seen in Ferrycarrig over the season. Lots of visiting schoolchildren for the last match of the season so maybe 230 at the match.