Under-strength Mervue make a final point

MERVUE Utd and Wexford Youths played out a scoreless draw for the second time this season at Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday evening.

Both sides fielded under-strength teams due to suspensions and injuries, with the visitors only able to name four substitutes on their bench. Mervue were without Nicky Curran, Pat Hoban and Alex Lee through suspension while captain Damien O’Rourke, Nigel Keady, David Goldbey, Rynal Browne were all unavailable. Consequently, U-17 players Mike Collins and Conor Winn featured for the first time this season on the bench.

Wexford, on the other hand, were also forced to field without some influential players as their captain, Conor Sinnott, and David Breen both sat this one out due to suspension while Jimmy Keihane, Muzzi Mullen and Kevin Rowe missed out as Wexford had an important U-20 match against Bray Wanderers on Sunday.

Wexford Youths started the brighter as both Gary Sheahan and Peter White went close to opening the scoring in the opening 20 minutes. Mervue also had a chance through Rory Gaffney but it came to nothing.

On 28 minutes Mervue goalkeeper Eoin Martin had to be replaced as he landed heavily after clearing a long ball under pressure from Youths striker Gary Sheahan. Martin was taken to hospital with a suspected broken arm and was replaced by U-17 keeper Winn, who was making his League of Ireland debut.

Seven minutes later Kevin Crehan missed a great chance for Mervue after a good cross from Rory Gaffney was flicked on by Mike Tierney but Crehan couldn’t apply the finish when well onside. Youths Peter White cleared the danger.

After the break, Wexford introduced sub Danny Furlong on 61 minutes and changed to two up front and began to look a bit more dangerous with their attacks.

Shortly after his introduction Furlong raced onto a through ball by Paul Rossiter but young Winn was equal to his effort making a good save from his shot to push the ball out for a corner.

Wexford’s Peter White was then inches wide with an effort from Sheahan’s resultant corner as Wexford looked the more likely to break the deadlock.

The visitors responded with home keeper Packie Holden saving well down low from a Paul Scally header on 68 minutes and Holden saved again two minutes later when a Gary Traynor almost broke the deadlock.

With time running out and three minutes into injury time, the home team thought they had secured the winner only for it to be ruled but for a foul on sub keeper Winn.

Wexford forced a late corner, which was delivered by Sheahan and finished by Furlong but the referee blew for a foul by Shane Dempsey on Winn for the final action of the game.

So, Mervue, second from bottom, finish their season with an away point while Wexford Youths still have a game to play against Monaghan Utd.