Wexford vs Mayo U16 Interleague semi final (Wexford)

 

All Ireland U16 Semi Final

Wexford 0

Mayo 1

Eoin Horkan

 Bunclody AFC

 

It wasn’t to be for Wexford today as Mayo manged to win this tie by a solitary first half goal.

It was the home side who carved out the opening chance inside the opening five minutes when Izzy Walsh collected the ball on the edge of the Mayo box before dragging her effort wide of the upright. Wexford couldn’t make much of there early control of the game as the Mayo defence stood strong any time they made inroads into the final third of the pitch. Mayo’s first half chance of the game came from a long high ball which caused consternation in the Wexford defence as the ball was heading towards the goal Bea Clancy managed to get back into her goal before clearing the danger.

Both sides were finding it difficult to trouble either goal up until halfway through the half when Wexford manufactured a corner which resulted in the ball landing at the feet of Farrin Wolohan who fired over with the goal at her mercy. The home side kept pilling on the pressure as the half went on. It was against the run of play that the deadlock was broken as Isobel Phillips  broke down the wing after a quick free kick  before firing in a dangerous cross in the box which was diverted into her own net by Caoimhe Carley. The half finished off with neither side creating any chances of note as midfielders Layla Stafford and Kayla Doherty battled to gain control of the tie.

After the interval it was Mayo who started to control the tie more as Doherty along with Muireann Nolan managed to gain a foothold in the middle of the park. It was this control that resulted in an effort from Doherty that was saved by Clancy early in the half. Wexford nearly managed to level the tie fifteen minutes into the half as Lucia Donohue broke through the Mayo rear-guard even rounding the goalie but as she was about to put the ball into the empty  net Isobel Phillips managed to  track back on her blind side before disposing her with a perfectly timed challenge In the next attack Wolohan controlled a ball expertly from a corner but her angled effort flew wide of the far post. The home sides onslaught of the Mayo goal continued as Walsh broke through again, this time her controlled effort as the substitute Heffernan advanced of the line narrowly cleared the bar.

This was the last time in this tie that the home side managed to trouble the westerner’s goal. The final ten minutes of the game were expertly managed by the away side. With minutes left in the tie a corner was floated to the edge of the box, Emily Jennings’s controlled volley flew back of the crossbar .

 Wexford: Bea Clancy;  Caoimhe Carley, Abbie Gaffney, Farrin Wolohan, Jorja Hennell; Layla Stafford ( Capt.), Lucia Donohue, Eva O’ Gorman, Ebony Harris Burke;  Izzy Walsh, Keelin Barron Subs- Laura McCarthy for  Keelin Barron (68), Ava Wallace for O’ Gorman (74).

 Mayo: Sarah Heaney; Isobel Phillips, Emma Walsh, Emily Jennings, Rebecca Moran; Muireann Nolan, Maura Hughes ( Capt.)., Kayla Doherty, Ashleagh Salmon; Kate Brennan, Christina McEvilly. Subs - Naoise Heffernan for Heaney (59), Alyssa Murphy for Moran (59), Roisín  Horkan for Salmon (72), Helen Murphy for McEvilly (78).

Ref: Ger Morris.