Leinster Senior Cup Report: Wexford Youths 3 - 2 Collinstown FC (AET)

It took Wexford Youths until extra-time to dispose of a spirited Collinstown team. On the 119^th minute of the game Eric Molloy completed his hat trick to secure the Youth’s place in the cup final.  This was a cup tie that had it all, the underdogs taking the lead, a couple of red cards, sending off of a manager and a left back going in goal to save an injury time penalty. 

The Youths made 9 changes from their win over Shamrock Rovers. Conditions were far from ideal for football as there was a continuous mist falling all evening. It was the away side who settled quicker and looked comfortable playing against their League of Ireland Premier Division opponents.

It was the Dublin side that got the game’s opening goal in the 42 minute when a speculative effort by Ian Mc Neill from outside the box beat Youth’s keeper Matt Connor. The Dublin side doubled their lead five minutes after half time through a Dillon Mc Keever goal. Mc Keever played a looping shot from the right hand side of the edge of the box and his shot succeeded in deceiving Connor to find its way into the net.

The Youths struggled to make any clear cut chances and with only one man up front they were struggling to threaten the Collinstown defence. The Youths pulled a goal back in the 56^th minute when Eric Molloy beat Collinstown’s keeper to a ball and taped into an open goal. Johnny Bonner was then sprung from the bench as the Youths chased the game.

In what was a feisty affair both on the pitch and the side-line, the game was threatening to boil over from the restart of the second half. Indeed there were numerous late tackles causing uproar on the side-line which prompted referee Brian Fenlon to call both sides captains together during the second half, to try to cool proceedings. However the first sending off of the evening came when Collinstown manager Kevin Carroll was asked to leave the pitch after a disagreement with the forth official.

With the visitors tiring Wexford threw everything at the Dublin side, even emptying their subs bench. Once again tempers flared as a Youth’s defender barged into Dean Ebbe of Collinstown, the two players then tangled resulting in Ebbe striking out against his opponent. Ebbe received his marching orders for this action.

Collinstown faced an uphill battle now down to 10 men, their manager banished from the side-line and the Youths with three first team regulars now on the pitch. The Dublin based side failed to hold their 2-1 lead as Eric Molloy got his second of the evening from close range with a header past Derek O ‘Connor in the Collinstown goal in the 87 minute.

Credit to the current Leinster Junior Cup holders Collinstown, as they didn’t settle for extra time. They continued to threaten and won an 89^th minute penalty when Youth keeper Matt Connors took down the on rushing Collinstown attacker. This was the Dublin sides chance to snatch victory and with the Youths having used all their subs Danny Ledwith took goalkeeping responsibilities. Ledwith produced a heroic save to get down to his left hand side and push away Daniel Matthew’s effort. The full time whistle was blown a couple of minutes after and extra-time would be needed.

The Youths dominated the extra-time proceedings, with the visitors increasingly tiring. Indeed with both sides reduced to 10 men and players tiring goal scoring opportunities began to become more frequent. In the first half of extra time Conor English went close twice, hitting the side netting on one occasion. Lewwith was called upon to continue his goalkeeping heroics again as he faced a rasping shot from one of the Collinstown’s attackers.

Indeed it was Wexford’s saviour in normal time Eric Molloy who pounced for the winner. He got on the end of a low cross from the left wing to tap in from two yards out. Collinstown were in visible despair and with the concession of this goal being in the 119^th minute of the game, they had no chance to mount a comeback.

The Youths progress to the Leinster League Cup final and will face either Bohemians or UCD. For Collinstown they can be enormously proud of their campaign where they triumphed over Premier Division teams such as Shamrock Rovers and Bray Wanderers.

Wexford Youths: Matt Connor, Conor O Keaffe, Stephen Last ( C ), Owen Mc Cormack, Paul Brennan, John Peare, Shane Dunne, Conor Whittle, Danny Ledwith, Eric Molloy, Conor English

Subs used: Johnny Bonnor, Andy Mulligan, Aidan Friel

Collinstown FC: Derek O Connor, Ian Mc Neill, David Long, Kenneth Flood, Dean Carpenter, Dylan Clarke, Karl Laffan, John Cleary, Dillon McKeever, Daniel Matthews, Dean Ebbe

Subs used: Christopher Barbour, Shane Murphy, Luke Fitzpatrick

Referee: Brian Fenlon

Attendance: 300 (estimate)

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Eric Molloy (Wexford Youths)

See John V Carr's pictures from the game here.