WYW v Shamrock Rovers

[ForzaForth]

Cagey game of few chances but a frustrating night for Wexford supporters as two easily preventable goals stopped Wexford returning down the NII with a massive three points. Wexford started with Maeve, Meabh, Lolly, Nicola, Abbie, Kylie, Michaela, Aoibheann, Rianna, Emily and Rossi. Rovers were slightly the better side for the first twenty minutes or so but with few chances for either side, save for Rovers’ Jaime Thompson having a header saved by Maeve Williams and Wexford’s Abbie Brophy shooting over the Rovers’ bar. From midway through the half, Wexford improved and Rianna Jarrett had a low shot which was just pushed away by Amanda Budden for a Wexford corner and Abbie Larkin of Rovers also had a shot which Maeve Williams got a touch to at the expense of another corner. Inside the one minute of injury-time, Rovers worked the ball down the right with an obvious chance of a cross and only one of their players, full-back Jess Gargan, is strolling into the Wexford area. Gargan is picked up by a single Wexford player but crucially the Wexford marker stays in front of Gargan. As both arrive in the Wexford six-yard box, the Wexford defender is now three yards in front of Gargan and looking only at the ball. As the cross eventually comes in, Gargan has the easiest of headers to put Rovers in front. At least two Wexford players – the goalkeeper and the right-full who have everything in their view, should have been roaring straight-away at the crucial Wexford defender to get touch-tight or to pick up. A savvy manager like Stephen Quinn should be able to put this right easily and it soon becomes second nature to all players. 1-0 to Rovers at half-time.

[ForzaForth]

Second half continued in a similar manner with very few chances. On six minutes, Meabh Russell equalised for Wexford with what looked like a cross which sailed into the opposite top corner to give Budden no chance. Fair dues if she meant it! Wexford almost headed home from a corner before, on 18 minutes, Jaime Thompson was left unmarked again at the end of a Rovers cross but she didn’t make clean contact and it proved an easy catch for Williams. With twenty minutes gone, failure to get touch-tight or pick-up before a cross came in proved Wexford’s failing again this time with a three-on-three inside the Wexford area. However, none of the defenders is touch-tight and there appears to be nobody from the away side giving a shout/abuse! The ball comes in and it comes straight to an unmarked Rovers attacker who is able to play a free cushioned header. Two Wexford defenders take a step forward towards the Rovers header-er, but it’s too late. The second Rovers attacker who gets on the end of the cushioned header is now free to either shoot or square it and does the latter with two of the Wexford defenders now out of the game. The square pass finds Aine O’Gorman in acres of space as the photo available shows and Wexford have coughed up another easily preventable goal from a simple failure to pick up at crosses.

[ForzaForth]

From then, the games returned to the usual equilibrium with Wexford’s Rianna Jarrett turning well with a shot inside the Rovers box which Amanda Budden rushed out well to block. Towards the end of the match, Aine O’Gorman found Wexford’s side netting from an acute angle and Ciara ‘Rossi’ Rossiter shot over from a good distance out. 2-1 to Rovers at the end but simple defensive basics by Wexford of getting tight to whatever opponent is closest to you when the ball is coming into your own penalty area – rather than ball-watching - would have prevented both goals. Best for Wexford were Ciara Rossiter who was immense, Lolly Conlon and Meabh Russell who handled their useful opponents of Alannah McEvoy and Aine O’Gorman very well. For Rovers, the stand-out player was Jaime Thompson – Rovers have found a gem there – while Jessica Hennessy was impressive in the air at the back for the home side.