WYW v Galway

[ForzaForth]

After a slow start in the game, Wexford produced their best football of the season thus far as they swept past a decent Galway side in good conditions in Ferrycarrig this afternoon. Wexford started with Kiev, Lynn, Nicola, Ciara, Edel, Aoibheann, Lynn Marie, Ellen, Sinead, Kylie and Aisling. Neither side really dominated the first half hour and it was Galway, in fact, who probably had more attempts on goal during that period. On 18 minutes, Galway suffered a major blow when Keara Cormican got what looked like a bad injury and then had further shocks later on as, in the second half, their best player, Savannah McCarthy, limped off and Therese Kinnevey got two yellow cards to leave Galway to finish with ten players. With 27 minutes gone, Kiev Gray in the Wexford goal had to save very smartly at the near post to deny Galway going a goal ahead. The key moment of the game came on 36 minutes when Ciara Rossiter of Wexford whipped in a good free-kick into the Galway area and Shauna Fox, who probably didn’t need to head it, deflected it past her own keeper, Zajc, in the Galway goal to put the home side a goal in front. Wexford were undoubtedly buoyed by this stroke of luck, and went a further goal ahead on 41 minutes when Wexford broke from their own half in a three-on-one, and Ellen Molloy released Lynn Marie Grant who made the finish look easier than it was past Zajc for 2-0 to Wexford. Kylie Murphy and Edel Kennedy then went close for Wexford as the home side finished with a good level of domination and a 2-0 lead.

[ForzaForth]

Galway applied some pressure at the start of the second period with a couple of corners but Wexford made the game safe on 16 minutes when Aisling Frawley supplied the cross for Sinead Taylor to deftly flick the ball past Zajc while her back was to goal and it was 3-0. On 19 minutes, it was 4-0 when a good Wexford move put Ellen Molloy in the clear outside the Galway area and her bullet into the corner gave Zajc no chance. Again, Ellen showed that her left-footed shooting, in particular, is simply astonishing in its high technical skill for one so young. With an injury to Galway’s Sav Mc and a second yellow for Kinnevey of Galway, Wexford had, as a result, taken over the game and the fifth goal came for Wexford when Aisling Frawley controlled a long ball and finished for Wexford for 5-0. Wexford brought on all the subs they could with Vanessa Ogbonna, Kira Bates Crosbie, Kim Flood and Maeve Williams all featuring but one sub who impressed particularly for Wexford was Fiona Ryan who smashed cross after cross from the left wing and may be deserving of more game time. 5-0 to Wexford at the end with Nicola Sinnott and, particularly, Edel Kennedy imperious at the back for the home side and Kylie Murphy and, particularly, Lynn Marie Grant doing well in midfield for the home side and, finally, Kiev Gray dealing very competently with everything that came her way between the sticks for Wexford. But, on a clinical view, Wexford aren’t as good as the scoreline suggests and Galway aren’t as bad. 5-0 to Wexford at full-time.