Shelbourne 1 - 2 Wexford Youths
Credit:
A Gary Sheehan brace fired Wexford Youths to a 2-1 victory over top of the table Shelbourne. Unbeaten in their last fifteen league games, Shelbourne will wonder how they lost this game, dominating in both possession and chances throughout. David McAllister’s 92nd minute strike came too late, as Shels crashed to a disappointing home defeat.
In truth, the Youth’s played a fine game of counter attacking football and, despite riding their luck throughout, took the chances that came their way and with that all the points.
Shelbourne started far brighter than Wexford tonight. As early as the second minute Richie Baker was causing trouble down the left. Dean Delaney spotted Baker to release a quick counter as Wexford were caught asleep. Tony Griffiths then put in a nice cross for the onrushing Anto Flood but it was just too high for the striker.
A few minutes later and Flood provided Baker with a great chance. His cute pass found Baker on the edge of the area but his right footed effort went just wide.
On twenty minutes Baker again threatened. Catching a bouncing ball on the volley on the edge of the area, he produced a good save from Packie Holden in the Wexford goal.
A few minutes later and again Baker caused trouble. A high bouncing ball was misread by David Breen allowing Baker to charge in from the left. Breen, however, dragged him down and received a yellow card for his troubles. Disappointingly for Dermot Keely’s men, the free kick came to nothing.
In one of Wexford’s few attacking moves of the first forty five, Gary Sheehan showed some real pace down the left. Having beaten two men his cross evaded Jimmy Keohane's head and luckily found the darting Shane Sinnott, but Shels dealt with the danger well. Moments earlier and Mark O'Brien's shocking backpass almost released Keohane but again the hosts had dealt well.
Shels’ two best chances then fell shortly before the break. Robbie Hedderman's ball into Tony Griffith's saw the striker fouled by Peter White on the very edge of the area. David Crawley's free kick hit the wall and the rebound was met by David McAllister who took a touch then fired a goal-bound left footed effort which deflected wide.
A minute later and David McGill charged into the area but his shot went just wide as the sides went into the break scoreless.
Wexford started the second half looking slightly more dangerous than in the first. Patsy Malone’s snap shot from out wide almost gave them the lead in the forty ninth minute, flying just wide.
Two minutes later and Shels had their own chance. Anto Flood's first time pass on the halfway line found David McAllister charging down the right. As Flood and Peter Hynes ran at goal for the cross to come in, McAllister instead whipped it back for Baker on the edge of the area but his first time volley went wide.
Five minutes later, though, and the home side found themselves behind somehow. A Wexford clearance to the halfway line saw David Crawley slip as last man back. Gary Sheehan had taken a chance by running at the defender and it paid off. Sheehan ran unopposed at goal and slotted the ball into the corner.
Shels almost equalised immediately. Anto Flood’s run at goal, skipping past Youths players and into the visitor’s box, resulted in the striker firing a great effort just wide of the far corner.
The game had completely opened up now, with Wexford’s pace looking very dangerous as Shels pushed forward. A Wexford break just after the hour had six Youths players on three Shels. Shane Dempsey played in Connor Sinnott behind the defence but Jimmy Keohone intercepted it off his own man. Keohone was offside and the chance passed.
With twenty minutes remaining, Shelbourne almost equalised. David McGill played in Peter Hynes thirty yards out. With his back to goal he found the newly introduced Derek Doyle sprinting into the box. Doyle was too far wide however and his shot was easily saved.
With ten minutes left a high looping cross in from David Crawley found Richie Baker who headed across goal. The ball was cleared as far as David McAllister whose shot at the edge of the area was charged down as the Youths sat deeper and deeper.
As the clock wound down Richie Baker cut in from the right before playing in McAllister to the right of goal. McAllister attempted to bend it in the far corner but David Breen got back just in time.
Then came the manic period of injury time. No sooner had the fourth official raised the sign showing that there would be three minutes added on, and Wexford grabbed their second, again from Gary Sheehan. Sheehan had the ball twenty five yards out on the left. He was allowed time to turn onto his right foot and fired into the far corner to shock the crowd.
Barely sixty seconds later and the difference was one goal yet again. Richie Baker headed it across the back four to David McAllister to volley in at the back post. But it was too late for Dermot Keely’s men to force an equaliser as their incredible run finally came to an end.
extratime.ie man of the match: Gary Sheehan. Richie Baker was a threat throughout but Sheehan’s second half performance was fantastic.
Shelbourne: Delaney, Quigley (Doyle 69), Crawley, Hedderman, Brennan, O’Brien, McGill, McAllister, Griffiths (Hynes 46), Flood, Baker
Subs unused: Synnott, Scully, Whelan
Wexford Youths: Holden, Russell, Rossiter, White, Breen, Dempsey, Keohane (Rowe 83), Malone, C. Sinnott, Sheehan, S. Sinnott (McCurtin 67)
Subs unused: Rossiter, Aust, Keohoe
In truth, the Youth’s played a fine game of counter attacking football and, despite riding their luck throughout, took the chances that came their way and with that all the points.
Shelbourne started far brighter than Wexford tonight. As early as the second minute Richie Baker was causing trouble down the left. Dean Delaney spotted Baker to release a quick counter as Wexford were caught asleep. Tony Griffiths then put in a nice cross for the onrushing Anto Flood but it was just too high for the striker.
A few minutes later and Flood provided Baker with a great chance. His cute pass found Baker on the edge of the area but his right footed effort went just wide.
On twenty minutes Baker again threatened. Catching a bouncing ball on the volley on the edge of the area, he produced a good save from Packie Holden in the Wexford goal.
A few minutes later and again Baker caused trouble. A high bouncing ball was misread by David Breen allowing Baker to charge in from the left. Breen, however, dragged him down and received a yellow card for his troubles. Disappointingly for Dermot Keely’s men, the free kick came to nothing.
In one of Wexford’s few attacking moves of the first forty five, Gary Sheehan showed some real pace down the left. Having beaten two men his cross evaded Jimmy Keohane's head and luckily found the darting Shane Sinnott, but Shels dealt with the danger well. Moments earlier and Mark O'Brien's shocking backpass almost released Keohane but again the hosts had dealt well.
Shels’ two best chances then fell shortly before the break. Robbie Hedderman's ball into Tony Griffith's saw the striker fouled by Peter White on the very edge of the area. David Crawley's free kick hit the wall and the rebound was met by David McAllister who took a touch then fired a goal-bound left footed effort which deflected wide.
A minute later and David McGill charged into the area but his shot went just wide as the sides went into the break scoreless.
Wexford started the second half looking slightly more dangerous than in the first. Patsy Malone’s snap shot from out wide almost gave them the lead in the forty ninth minute, flying just wide.
Two minutes later and Shels had their own chance. Anto Flood's first time pass on the halfway line found David McAllister charging down the right. As Flood and Peter Hynes ran at goal for the cross to come in, McAllister instead whipped it back for Baker on the edge of the area but his first time volley went wide.
Five minutes later, though, and the home side found themselves behind somehow. A Wexford clearance to the halfway line saw David Crawley slip as last man back. Gary Sheehan had taken a chance by running at the defender and it paid off. Sheehan ran unopposed at goal and slotted the ball into the corner.
Shels almost equalised immediately. Anto Flood’s run at goal, skipping past Youths players and into the visitor’s box, resulted in the striker firing a great effort just wide of the far corner.
The game had completely opened up now, with Wexford’s pace looking very dangerous as Shels pushed forward. A Wexford break just after the hour had six Youths players on three Shels. Shane Dempsey played in Connor Sinnott behind the defence but Jimmy Keohone intercepted it off his own man. Keohone was offside and the chance passed.
With twenty minutes remaining, Shelbourne almost equalised. David McGill played in Peter Hynes thirty yards out. With his back to goal he found the newly introduced Derek Doyle sprinting into the box. Doyle was too far wide however and his shot was easily saved.
With ten minutes left a high looping cross in from David Crawley found Richie Baker who headed across goal. The ball was cleared as far as David McAllister whose shot at the edge of the area was charged down as the Youths sat deeper and deeper.
As the clock wound down Richie Baker cut in from the right before playing in McAllister to the right of goal. McAllister attempted to bend it in the far corner but David Breen got back just in time.
Then came the manic period of injury time. No sooner had the fourth official raised the sign showing that there would be three minutes added on, and Wexford grabbed their second, again from Gary Sheehan. Sheehan had the ball twenty five yards out on the left. He was allowed time to turn onto his right foot and fired into the far corner to shock the crowd.
Barely sixty seconds later and the difference was one goal yet again. Richie Baker headed it across the back four to David McAllister to volley in at the back post. But it was too late for Dermot Keely’s men to force an equaliser as their incredible run finally came to an end.
extratime.ie man of the match: Gary Sheehan. Richie Baker was a threat throughout but Sheehan’s second half performance was fantastic.
Shelbourne: Delaney, Quigley (Doyle 69), Crawley, Hedderman, Brennan, O’Brien, McGill, McAllister, Griffiths (Hynes 46), Flood, Baker
Subs unused: Synnott, Scully, Whelan
Wexford Youths: Holden, Russell, Rossiter, White, Breen, Dempsey, Keohane (Rowe 83), Malone, C. Sinnott, Sheehan, S. Sinnott (McCurtin 67)
Subs unused: Rossiter, Aust, Keohoe
About Gordon Hunt
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