Games between these two closely-matched teams rarely disappoint and this afternoon's match in Jackson Park proved to be an absolute cracker as Wexford squeaked home by the odd goal in seven. Manager Laura Heffernan made one change by starting Aisling Frawley and went with Sophie, Linda, Nicola, Lolly, Jenny, Emma, Kylie, Jess, Becky, Aisling and Claire up front. One reason why Wexford won was that they reacted very well when going behind. On two minutes, UCD went ahead when Letmon was allowed too much space on the right wing and her shot finished in the corner for 1-0 to the Waves. However, Wexford hit back immediately through the ace dead-ball delivery from Emma Hansberry, this time from a corner, as Jess Gleeson won the ball at the back post for Jenny O'Keeffe to prod home from close in for 1-1. Claire O'Riordan then couldn't keep a right-footed effort on target before UCD's Aine O'Gorman hit the top of the crossbar after some telepathic football with Julie-Ann Russell. However, on 24 minutes, UCD went ahead again when Sophie Lenehan couldn't hold a UCD shot and two Wexford defenders, with time, managed to hit the ball off each other for the ball to cross the line and 2-1 to UCD. Wexford managed to equalise again almost immediately and again Emma Hansberry was the instigator as her free-kick hit the crossbar and down for Kylie Murphy to react the swiftest and touch home for 2-2. With 38 minutes gone, Emma Hansberry put the ball on a sixpence for Claire O'Riordan but her header flashed wide. With two minutes to go in the half, Aine O'Gorman won a peno when she went down under pressure from Linda Douglas, and O'Gorman finished right in the corner for 3-2 to UCD. However, Claire O'Riordan had a good chance to equalise once again when she had a one-on-one with Brooke Dunne in the UCD goal, but her composure let her down and UCD were ahead at half-time after a breathless first half on a 3-2 scoreline.
Wexford's second reason for coming out winners lay in not conceding after a long spell of UCD dominance at the start of the second half. Three minutes in, O'Gorman headed over from close in while on 50 minutes, a long low shot by UCD hit the bottom of Sophie Lenehan's post and away. Sophie Lenehan then tipped another UCD long range effort over the crossbar and Aoibhin Webb had come on for Wexford and commenced a really good showing down Wexford's right. With 20 minutes to go, the one player in the country you'd like to see the ball drop to about 35 yards out, namely Kylie Murphy, smacked one so hard and low that Brooke Dunne in the UCD goal would have done well to push it away and Wexford were back level at 3-3. Amy Walsh then came on at left-full for Wexford when with ten minutes to go, UCD coughed up an o.g. of similar standard to Wexford's when a UCD defender, possibly with two touches, still managed to knock a long cross past her own keeper for 4-3 to Wexford. Claire O'Riordan then hit the bar with a header and Aoibhin Webb had a shot deflected for a Wexford corner. Last chance for UCD fell to Julie-Ann Russell who shot wide from the left wing and Wexford were home after a dramatic game on a 4-3 scoreline.
Even with all the chances, two of the best players on the pitch were centre-halves Lolly Conlon of Wexford and Rebekah Carroll of UCD, while Russell and O'Gorman were outstanding for the home side and Hansberry, Murphy and Linda Douglas for the Slaneysiders. Makes Wexford's home tie with Peamount next week even tastier but there's a long way to go yet. 4-3 to Wexford at full-time.
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