Wexford Youths 1-2 Wolves

The windscreen wipers beat an anxious tattoo as I drove down from North Wexford last night and I pondered that football is a game of chance both on and off the pitch. With a crowd of over two thousand five hundred expected for the visit of Wolves to Ferrycarrig Park a lot of people were likely to get wet. After a weekend of relentless rain would they show up at all, at all?

They did, the rain held off and Seanie’s pitch was rain-soaked but remarkably good. Kevin Doyle’s return to Wexford proved to be the occasion that had been anticipated although the participation of the man himself, limited to the last twenty minutes, was low key. Not surprising.  There is the small matter of Arsenal, for club, on Saturday and France for country a week later.

The Irish international on show was Andy Keogh, no doubt anxious to contest a place in the line up to face Arsenal.   He played the full ninety minutes and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory. The rest of the Wolves Irish contingent, Stephen Ward, Kevin Foley and John Dunleavy were absent, all recovering from injury.

Wolves, playing neat possession football looked as though they only had to step on the gas early on but Wexford Youths’ defence performed creditably to keep the first half scoreless. In the second Wexford Youths came into the game, Gary Sheahan scored a goal to remember to equalise the one from Wolves giant Austrian striker Stefan Maierhofer and the eventual margin of defeat was respectable enough, considering Conor Sinnott’s great effort was only thwarted by the crossbar.

David Breen, who must be in the running for Youths’ Player of the Season, got an ovation from the crowd when he was replaced by Paul Rossiter just after the hour, as did Gary Sheahan, another contender for that trophy, a quarter of an hour later but my man of this match was Peter White, who soldiered on for the full game. Mick Wallace gave late outings to some of his prodigious kids with Lee Aust and Muzzi Mullen enjoying eye-catching moments.

Mick McCarthy was in great form after the match. “We’ve enjoyed it – it was a good game and it’s been a good trip,” he enthused.  “Kevin has been a great signing for us and I’ve been delighted we’ve been able to give something back.”

All in all, night to remember and a historic moment in the history of soccer in County Wexford.

Brian de Salvo

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