Wexford FC v Athlone

[ForzaForth]

Two late goals for Wexford put a handy gloss on the final scoreline for the home side after a curate’s egg of a performance in which, despite dominating possession, they didn’t create many more chances than the away side if you exclude the last six minutes. Wexford started with Alex, Frieler, Paul, Luka, Conor C, Conor B, Jack, Dobbsy, Adam, Jordon and Harry. From the start, Wexford were more fluent than Athlone but without creating many real chances. Jack Doherty had an early free over the Athlone bar and Aaron Dobbs headed over the Athlone bar. After Dobbsy had a good chance but was ruled just offside, the first real save of the game came on 18 minutes when Alex Moody in the Wexford goal got down well to save a shot from Thomas Oluwa who had gone on a break for Athlone. On 25 minutes, a worry for Wexford as Jack Doherty hobbled off and was replaced by Conor Davis. Conor Davis had an early shot which he lifted over the Athlone bar shortly after coming on. With Wexford dominating but having nothing to show on the scoreboard, you felt they needed the first goal which came on 39 minutes when a header by Conor Davis put Aaron Dobbs through on the Athlone goal, and he smacked it firmly past Smith, the Athlone keeper, to put Wexford a goal ahead. 1-0 to Wexford at half-time with Athlone hitting the Wexford side-netting just before the break.

[ForzaForth]

Wexford continued to have the lion’s share of possession after the interval, but other than a very dangerous cross on the two minute mark, didn’t really test Smith in the Athlone goal. Around 15 minutes in, Athlone should have scored but some very desperate defending by the final Wexford defenders somehow managed to keep the ball from crossing the goal-line. After Thomas Considine and Luke Scanlon had come on for Wexford, the dreaded equalising goal came for Athlone when Youri Habing chipped Alex Moody in the Wexford goal from about 45 yards out to bring the game to 1-1. Dinny Corcoran and, making his first senior start, Sean Fitzpatrick, came on for Wexford as manager, Ian Ryan, went all out to restore Wexford’s lead. After Wexford’s Jordon Tallon had a header cleared off the Athlone line, the changes eventually paid dividends when, on 39 minutes, Dinny Corcoran was taken down inside the Athlone area and Conor Davis converted from the spot to make it 2-1. In the final minute or two, Dobbsy and Dinny combined well to give Dinny Corcoran a tap-in and Wexford reached the final whistle as 3-1 victors which was much less comfortable than the scoreline suggests. Indeed, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the normally mild-mannered Ian Ryan so irate during a game. Best for Wexford were Dobbsy, Luka Lovic, Conor Crowley and Jordon Tallon while Thomas Considine was a revelation when he came on. Approx. 360 at the game.