Waterford FC U17s continued their unbeaten run this season with a comprehensive 2-0 win away to near neighbours Wexford in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday afternoon. Goals in either half from Jack Larkin and Colm Whelan gave John Furlong’s side a comfortable victory.
The first chance of the game arrived with 14 minutes on the clock when Dean Beresford sprayed the ball out to the left channel for Sean Tracey and after his cross found the head of Regix Madika, his header was just over the crossbar of Michael Walsh.
It was Tracey that went close to putting the Blues in front less than 60 seconds later when Colm Whelan’s shot was blocked into the path of the winger but his right-footed shot was just inches wide of Michael Walsh’s right-hand post.
Regix Madika did well down the right channel on 23 minutes to put the ball in the danger area for Colm Whelan but the striker couldn’t get proper contact on his shot.
Waterford took the lead from the penalty spot with half an hour played in the contest when Oscar Smith handled a right-wing Regix Madika cross, leaving referee Brian Fenlon with no option but to point to the spot. U17 captain Jack Larkin stepped up to calmly convert.
The post denied the Blues their second goal of the game on 33 minutes when Sean Tracey sent in a cross from the left that found the head of Colm Whelan at the back post but his close-range header came back off the inside of the back post.
Wexford keeper Michael Walsh came to his sides rescue with a smart save five minutes later when Jack O’Donnell latched onto a ball 25-yards but after his shot was parried into the path of Darragh Power, he couldn’t direct his effort on target.
With the Blues dominant, they got a second goal just four minutes into the second half with a great move. Lee Costello found Jack Larkin centrally and he played the pass that sent Colm Whelan clear on goal on the left-side and he held his nerve to slip a left-footed shot to the net from 14 yards past a helpless Michael Walsh to ensure three points and the Blues remain unbeaten in the division.
Wexford FC: Michael Walsh, Jason Daly (Brandon Deady `54), Reece Murphy, Nathan O’Connor (Patrick Barron `17), Oscar Smith (Ciaran Paige `65), Adham Masood, Jack Gallagher, Caellum Travers-Devlin, Craig O’Reilly, Liam Berry, Conor Signorelli (Stephen Kearns `69)
Waterford FC: Charlie Heffernan, Kallum Broaders, Lee Costello, Adam Conway, Jack Larkin, Dean Beresford, Darragh Power (Greg Waters `64), Jack O’Donnell (Andrew Farrell `76), Regix Madika, Colm Whelan (Torik Adegao `76), Sean Tracey
Referee: Brian Fenlon
