Good work-out for Wexford in the AUL Complex as they gave everybody a run against Shelbourne this afternoon. Despite Shelbourne fielding what looked very much like their reserves, they looked that bit sharper about the pitch and deserved the win. Wexford put more or less two different teams out in each half and started with Hunt, Cleary, O’Sullivan, Crowley, Davis, Groome, Considine, Byrne, Dobbs and two triallists. Both sides found it hard to create chances in the first half with Shelbourne perhaps dominating possession but with their supply to the two-man forward line being very wasteful. In fact, it was dodgy back-passes which created the best chances for either side. In the first minute, Hunty was good enough to drop onto a bad back-pass to which a Shels forward was able to get the first touch. On 13 minutes, Conor Davis got possession from a bad Shels back-pass and fed Conor Crowley who could only shoot over the Shels cross-bar.. A Shels forward then got to another Wexford back-pass first but couldn’t finish with Hunty in close proximity. Aaron Dobbs for Wexford then got the first touch to a Shels back-pass on 25 minutes but just poked it wide ahead of Brendan Clarke in the Shels goal. First decent effort on goal came from Shels in the last minute of the half when a turn and shot by a Shels attacker forced a good save from Hunt in the Wexford goal. A largely undistinguished half merited a 0-0 scoreline at half-time.
If I’m right, Wexford made nine changes at half-time with only Paul Cleary and Mitchell Byrne remaining on the pitch for the second half. Despite conceding two goals, Wexford played better in this half with Jack Doherty very prominent. Playing in a no. 10 role, he again looks the key to Wexford’s expected improvement this season. The triallist in Wexford’s goal for the second half made two good saves from one-on-one opportunities for Shels attackers before, with 25 minutes gone, Shels went ahead with a good attacking header from a corner. With five minutes to go, Shels made it 2-0 when the ball was picked up inside Wexford’s half and a drilled shot hit the inside of the post and went in. Very much a work in progress for Wexford but players who impressed on the day were Doherty, Groome, Farrell, Cleary, Byrne and Friel.
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