Women suffer Cork setback
WEXFORD YOUTHS 1 CORK LEAGUE WOMEN 3
New signing Cherelle Khassal breaks away from Marie Curtin of Cork.
AN IMPRESSIVE Cork performance proved way too much for Wexford Youths to handle as they failed to pick up their opening Ferrycarrig Park win of this inaugural Bus Eireann Women's National League season on Sunday afternoon last.
Wexford Youths 1 (Dunphy 86) Cork League 3 ( Huber 3, Shine 44, O'sullivan 72)
The visitors from Leeside were full value for their win as they dominated the first-half and did plenty in the second-half to garner their second win of the season which pushed them ahead of their hosts in the league standings.
With a respectable five points from their opening five games, which included an away victory over Sunday's opponents, Wexford went into the game as favourites. However, with cutting edge-type players like Rihanna Jarrett and Fiona Bennett unavailable and new singing Cherelle Khassal on the bench, it was never going to be that straightforward.
Warning flares were flown in the opening minute when Charlotte Mccormack had to drag a goalbound free-kick out from under her crossbar, but those warnings weren't heeded as Claudia Huber got on the end of Lauren Murphy's corner in the third minute to give the Rebel girls the lead.
A wild, long-range, Maria Delahunty effort was the only respite Wexford got from incessant pressure, and the waves of attacks told just before the break as a one-two between Claire Shine and Katie Mccarthy saw the former drill a shot to the top right corner of the net from 20 yards.
After being completely outplayed in the opening half, reinforcements were clearly needed and they came in the guise of Edel Kennedy and Cherelle Khassal. It was the newest signing from LA Strikers, Khassal, who made the big impact - her technical ability that has been honed in the American system, was far beyond anyone else on the pitch.
She almost scored in the ninth minute of the second-half when she breezed past the last defender, only to fire narrowly over, and she continued to be at the heart of everything good that Youths produced.
The visitors grabbed a clincher against the run of play when Denise O'sullivan headed home Lauren Murphy's cross, but Wexford almost hit back when Khassal unselfishly picked out Kylie Murphy who could only scoop over the crossbar with the goal gaping.
Another jinky run by Khassal gave Murphy a further chance to grab a consolation and, while Cork 'keeper Rachel Mullins denied the Wexford midfielder, she could do nothing about Nikki Dunphy's header from the resulting corner as Youths scored late on.
- DEAN GOODISON in Ferrycarrig Park
