Wexford Youths (1) - St Patrick's Athletic (3)

Wexford Youths 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

St Patrick's Athletic put the lights out on the dream of Wexford Youths at they advanced to the quarter-final stage of the FAI Ford Cup at rainswept Ferrycarrig Park.

St Patrick's, fielding five short of the side that drew in Europe last week, started this fourth round tie brightly with almost incessant pressure on the home goal.

The First Division side were finding life difficult during the opening ten minutes; a period that the Premier Division side were denied on two occasions by home keeper Pa Doyle.

Wexford Youths were tottering at this stage with keeper Pa Doyle keeping his goal intact with a fine third minute save from Mark Quigley, who moved into the area having played a one-two with Bobby Ryan.

Three minutes later, it was Quigley who once again brought the best out of Doyle with a fine effort from the right edge of area.

Having come agonisingly close on two occasions, St Patrick's broke the deadlock after 11 minutes, but it was dreadful defending by the home side that created the opening.

Paul Malone was short with his back-pass leaving keeper Doyle stranded as Quigley raced on to the ball moved around the keeper before firing low into the net, although right-back Paul Rossiter should have done better in his effort to clear off the line.

With St Patrick's clearly controlling the game it came as no surprise when they added a second. Quigley had his 25-yard shot spilled by keeper Doyle, with John Murphy on hand to drill the loose ball home from eight yards making it 2-0 after 20 minutes.

Wexford Youths jolted the visitors on 28 minutes when Gavin Doyle, collecting a ball to the right edge of the area, drilled a rising shot into the roof of the net past a helpless Barry Ryan in the Pat's goal.

That was how it remained to the interval with an improving home side, fielding four 18-year-olds, content to be trailing just 2-1.

Within five minutes of the restart, Wexford Youths came close to snatching a dramatic equaliser.

After a Conor Sinnott corner had only been partially cleared, Keith Kearney had a rising shot from just outside the area over the top.

At the opposite end, Doyle brought a great block from David Rogers on 54 minutes to keep the home side in the game.

Another Sinnott corner on 61 minutes saw Danny Furlong's overhead kick fly just outside the left upright with keeper Ryan beaten.

St Pat's secured their quarter-final spot when Murphy headed powerfully home from a Brennan cross on 70 minutes making it 3-1.

Wexford Youths responded with Danny Furlong heading against the angle of crossbar and upright two minutes later but that was the home side's last real chance of getting back into the game.

© rte.ie

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Wexford Youths 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

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