Wexford Youths FC 1-0 Finn Harps

by Brian De Salvo

As summer soccer spills over into the chill of an October evening at Ferrycarrig last night it provided a sharp reminder of the way we were. Fortunately the entertainment on show was heart-warming stuff with both sides committed and prepared to play football.  Youths will be pleased with the resourceful nature of their victory; Harps disappointed that they did not get the point they would feel their efforts warranted.

Good news for Youths prior to kick off saw skipper Conor Sinnott, who was expected to be suspended, available to play. Sinnott has been Youths outstanding player over the first two seasons of the club’s League of Ireland history and, although others have competed for that honour this term, remains a prime asset. He was on song this evening, providing the assist for the match winning goal but Shane Dempsey ultimately took the midfield medal, adding some fine passing to the determination with which we are already familiar.

Wexford went off at a full gallop and speed is a spectacular aspect of their game. Sinnott set Sheahan away down the left and his cross flew across Harps goal with Keohane not too far away. No first division defence has come up with the answer to Gary Sheahan’s pace this season and, given the service, he is always a potential match winner. He was on the goal trail again after only 8 minutes, Sinnott again the provider after evading a scything tackle and Keohane slipping the striker through on goal. But the angle was too acute and the ball blasted wide of the near post. Had Sheahan lifted his head he might have seen the unmarked Broaders sprinting for the far post.

Youths were making the running at this stage but a misplaced pass from Keohane left the wrong footed Russell stranded only for Whoriskey to shoot wide. Harps continued to remind us of their quality a minute later, Mark Forker bringing a flying save from Holden.

On the half hour it was the visiting keeper, under 19 Irish international Ciaran Gallagher in the limelight. Dempsey won a great tackle and put Sheahan through a Harps back four that was square and perhaps too high up the pitch. But Gallagher sped from his goal at the speed of light to close down Sheahan and deflect his shot on the edge of the box. There aren’t many defenders, let alone keepers, who can match Sheahan’s speed but this was a brilliant piece of judgement on Gallagher’s part. But these decisions are split second moments and a minute later he got it wrong in a similar one on one with Keohane and was lucky to get away with it as the ball bounced harmlessly away with the keeper stranded.

Youths had dominated the first half but Harps were beginning to make their mark in the last ten minutes and it took a painful double save from Packie Holden to preserve his clean sheet just before the interval. First he leapt to his right to turn Rossiter’s long range drive away and then he had to block Mark Moran’s close range effort.

Harps continued to move the ball about impressively in the second half but the Wexford defence stood firm and Youth’s broke the deadlock after seventy minutes. Holden’s long clearance was flicked on by Patsy Malone’s head, Sinnott made tracks for the dead ball line and provided a perfect low cross for Sheahan to score from close range. The last twenty minutes were not without anxious moments for the home side as Harps brought their impressive central defender Packie Mailey into the firing line. But Youths responded well enough to earn their clean sheet in a match that was a good advertisement for domestic football.

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden; Anto Russell, David Breen, Peter White, Gareth McCurtin (Paul Rossiter 60); Conor Sinnott, Shane Dempsey (Chris Kenny 86), Patsy Malone, Warren Broaders (Tiernan Rossiter 67).

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Ian Rossiter, Sean Reddy, Packie Mailey, Ciaran Coll; Mark Moran (Aaron Hagen), Mark Forker, Paddy Bonner (Brian Laverty), Gary Whoriskey (sub 13/?); Conor Gethins, Michael Funston.

Referee: Stuart Templeman

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