10-man Mervue get nothing for rousing effort
Date Published: {J}
Mervue United 0Wexford Youths 1
by Darragh McDonagh
THREE fixtures between these two sides last season produced just a single goal, and any notion that there would be a classic match to buck that trend was quickly dispelled at Terryland Park on Friday.
One of the few talking points of a drab first half was the dismissal of Darren Young for a crunching challenge on Shane Dempsey after only 26 minutes. It made the task of breaking the deadlock more difficult for Mervue but, to their credit, the impact of the sending-off was made to seem minimal.
The two teams grappled without artistry or purpose during a scrappy first period in which few substantial chances were created by either side. The match came to life in the second half, however, and Jimmy Keohane finally snatched a goal in the 73rd minute to deny ten-man Mervue a point that they surely deserved, if only for the gutsy determination that saw them battle bravely until the very end.
Tom French had made three changes to the side that lost to Athlone Town the previous weekend. Martin Conneely was drafted into the team at fullback in place of the suspended Nicky Curran, while Mike Tierney and Enda Curran replaced Pat Hoban and Rory Gaffney, who began on the bench following his appearance for Galway U21s against Sligo last Sunday.
Anthony Wolfe and Warren Broaders both started for Noel O’Connor’s side at the expense of Gary Sheahan and Lee Aust, who had starred in Wexford’s creditable draw against Shelbourne last week.
The opening exchanges afforded neither side any great chances, although a speculative strike from distance by Damien O’Rourke in the 10th minute swerved menacingly before it was successfully stopped by the back-pedalling Packie Holden in the Wexford goal.
The game might have pivoted on the dismissal of Darren Young as early as the 26th minute, but Mervue seemed to take the sending off in their stride and refused to merely batten down the hatches. Their three-man defence narrowed and O’Rourke continued to stroll forward unshackled by the disparity of numbers.
Wexford seldom made their numerical advantage count, though a mistake by Eric Browne in the 29th minute steered the ball into the path of Danny Furlong, whose shot hit O’Rourke before looping over the bar to the relief of Ger Hanley.
French’s decision to proceed with a three-man defence in the wake of Young’s dismissal left Mervue’s attacking line intact, and the Galway side continued to look no less likely than their Wexford counterparts to break the deadlock. Mike Tierney, deployed in a central role, rolled the ball to Enda Curran on 36 minutes and the Mervue striker brought the ball forward before unleashing a dipping shot that was well held by Holden.
For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.