Wexford Youths 0-2 Monaghan United

Brian De Salvo

There was a festival of football today at the Wexford Football Complex. Unfortunately it was all over by 7pm when the thirty teams of kids taking part in Garda Gerry Heanue’s six-a-side competitions collected their medals. The main attraction against Monaghan United didn’t start until half an hour later although the same authority that had confirmed the seven thirty kick off had apparently informed the officials it was scheduled for 8pm. Welcome to the wacky world of Irish domestic football.

When the contest for three League of Ireland Division One points got underweigh you couldn’t have imagined more different climatic conditions for Youths second home game in two weeks. They ran aground in a rain storm against Kildare County last Friday; tonight everything seemed to be coming up roses on a balmy summer’s evening.

For the first fifteen minutes it was like one of those training ground exercises of attack against defence. The midfield trio of Dempsey, Sinnott and Malone seemed to have crystallised into an impressive combination of artist and artisans, McCurtin was beginning to settle in his new left back role and upfront Sheahan, as usual, showed he had the legs on his marker with Doyle and Fitzgerald looking likely to profit.  

The visitors defended efficiently but invariably conceded possession as they survived a wave of attacks. So Packie Holden, resuming in the Wexford goal, hardly got a touch. On six minutes a brilliant, determined run by Conor Sinnott, survived four challenges and enabled Fitzgerald to force a corner. Then Sheahan accelerated in from the right but his shot was tame. Indeed, for all their possession, it wasn’t until the fortieth minute that Monaghan’s seventeen year old keeper Aaron McCarey had to demonstrate why he has yet to concede a League of Ireland goal in four successive appearances.

Ritchie Fitzgerald beat his man on the left and looked odds on to score with a fierce close range drive but McCarey, showing excellent reflexes, dived full length to push the ball past his right post.  Gradually Monaghan began to weather a storm which proved to possess no lightning strike.   In the second half United took control and the Wexford midfield, so dominant in the first period sank without trace. Karl Bermingham opened Monaghan’s account after 57 minutes, cutting in from the right to shoot across the helpless Holden. The keeper prevented a second five minutes later with an acrobatic dive to his left to hold O’Connor’s drive.

Youths rallied to force a series of corners. McCarey earned his moment of good fortune when his block on McCurtin’s shot could have gone anywhere but squeezed wide of the post. Then he went full length to push Sinnott’s pin-pointed free kick round the post. Wexford’s pressure was enough to prompt a long lecture from a visiting midfielder who had more than enough breath left to deliver it as his sweating defenders awaited yet another assault by corner kick.

But it was all over in the 87th minute when Bermingham took advantage of a fine passing movement and Sinnott’s failure to tackle to plant the ball past his former Waterford colleague Holden to secure the points.

In the end Monaghan were resourceful and resolute, simply too professional for Youths. And yet, but for McCarey’s brilliant save just before the interval it might have been a different story second half. The Mons youth international certainly played a key role in securing the points.

Meanwhile, Wexford’s best underage talent was assisting the Youths’ under eighteen squad in Cork. This policy has always been part of Mick Wallace’s credo for the club so, frustrating though it may be for fans of the League of Ireland team, it can come as no surprise. And it’s worth mentioning that it’s the same credo that provided the facilities for the Wexford Garda Community Policy Unit to entertain 250 children earlier in the day. Wexford Youths are different, but they still stand fifth in the table.

But, with Monaghan now biting at their heels, next week’s visit to Mervue may indicate whether Youths rating will be top half or bottom half of the League table when the end of the season comes around in November.

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden; Anto Russell, Paul Rossiter, David Breen, Gareth McCurtin (Warren Broaders 83); Shane Dempsey (Tiernan Rossiter 64), Conor Sinnott, Patsy Malone; Gary Sheahan, Gavin Doyle, Ritchie Fitzgerald (Lee Aust 67)
Subs: Lee Aust, Warren Broaders, Aiden McCann, Tiernan Rossiter, Pa Doyle.

Monaghan Uunited: Aaron McCarey; Stefan McKevitt, Brian Gartland, Paul Whelan, Shane Grimes; Cathal O’Connor, Dom Tierney, Alan Byrne, Barry Clancy; Karl Bermingham, David Freeman
Subs: Darragh Hanapy, Stephen McCrossan, Craig Harding, Sean Brennan, Brendan Kennedy.

Referee: Rob Rogers       

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