Waterford FC had to battle very hard for a share of the spoils from their SSE Airtricity Under 19 Southern Elite Division clash with Wexford FC at the RSC on Sunday afternoon last.
Tunmise Sobowale received a straight red card in just the second minute for what the referee deemed serious foul player after the midfielder clashed with Wexford FC central defender Martin O’Connor and it left the Blues having to play literally the whole game minus a key player.
Darragh O’Connor did have the ball in the back of the Wexford FC net with seven minutes on the clock when he tapped home a flicked Darryl Walsh free kick from the right but the flag of assistant referee Brian Bartley was raised for offside.
Vincent Quinlan cracked in a shot from 25 yards for the visitors two minutes later but his effort went wide of Paul Martin’s left-hand post before Cian Doyle played in Yaw Aboagye on the left-side of the area however Martin saved superbly with his legs.
Doyle picked up possession of the ball out on the right-side of the penalty area on 37 minutes but he failed to trouble Martin as his well-struck, left-footed strike cleared the crossbar as the sides went in at the half time break on level terms.
The Blues worked hard in the second half of the tie to get a goal with Sean Roche sending over a cross from the right side of the area on 59 minutes but Owen Wall couldn’t find the net with a close-range header before Wall tried a lob minutes later but Adam Dempsey got back to save.
Darryl Walsh nearly beat the Wexford keeper Dempsey with a cracking free kick from just inside the opposition half on 80 minutes but the netminder managed to turn the ball out for a corner kick that saw Darragh O’Connor head over the bar.
Shane Griffin set up Justin Croke out on the right-side of the penalty area three minutes later but his curling effort was wide of the far post before Waterford could have won it late on when Michael Carroll turned provider for Owen Wall however keeper Adam Dempsey made a brilliant save as both sides settled for a point.
WATERFORD FC: Paul Martin, Darragh Corcoran, Darryl Walsh, Darragh O’Connor, Eoghan Rea, Shane Griffin, Edward Black, Tunmise Sobowale, Sean Roche, Owen Wall, Justin Croke, Michael Carroll, Glenn Waters, Regix Madika, Cian Flanagan, Ben Murray
WEXFORD FC: Adam Dempsey, Jack Gallagher, Jack Bates, Neil Murphy, Martin O’Connor, Cian Doyle, Vincent Quinlan, Dylan Bradley, Yaw Aboagye, Danny Doyle, Dean George, Sean Mulligan, Adam Doyle, Eoin Curran, Oscar Smyth
Referee: Adam Tszample assisted by Paul Butler and Brian Bartley
