0 v 4 
Galway UtdDetails
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 November 2023 | 4:30 pm | LOI Women's Premier Division | 2023 |
Match Report
Galway Comfortable Victors Over Wexford
Galway United dismantled Wexford Youths 4-0 at Ferrycarrig Park in the final fixture of the 2023 season as the Youths fall to a record low seventh place finish.
With nothing but pride to play for, both teams couldn't be faulted for effort in the opening minutes, Rola Olusola had a great chance just 9 minutes in, but couldn’t beat Wexford keeper Nicole Nix as she broke through one on one. The same wouldn’t be said for Olusola’s teammate Abbie Callanan just moments later after some pretty calamitous defending by Nicola Sinnott allowed the Galway girl to steal in and slot across Nix into the bottom corner.
It went from bad to so much worse for Wexford though as they allowed Callanan an eternity to pick her spot in the box, which she dutifully did, scorching one into the roof of the net past the hapless Nix, after she latched onto a pull back no more than a minute after her opening goal.
Now two goals down in the blink of an eye, Wexford were lucky to escape unscathed when Olusola beat Nix to an overhit through ball, nicking the outside of the post with her effort from a narrow angle that rolled agonisingly across the face for what seemed like an age.
A couple of minutes out from the sanctity of halftime, where Wexford could regroup, Olusola put the game almost beyond doubt. Finding herself abandoned by the unaware Youths backline, Olusola was slipped through with just the keeper to beat, rolling it into the Wexford net as the home crowd looked on stunned at the space she was afforded with their side now 3-0 down.
Wexford had a much stronger start to the second period than the first, clipping the bar on the hour mark from a Michaela Lawrence header at the back post on the end of a deep corner, but Galway continued to cruise to the finish in first gear.
Ellen Molloy had Abbiegayle Ronanye stretching to tip her curling effort wide after 75 minutes as the Galway defence held out for the clean sheet.
The Connacht side wasn’t quite finished in attack however, a chipped cross on 85 minutes left Nix floundering to keep it out of the net, which she did excellently, but as the ball dropped down it was Olusola first on the scene to bundle the ball home and make it 4-0.
It was a performance indicative of Wexford’s terrible season, firmly putting it in the category of one to forget. For Galway it was the perfect end to a campaign from which they can hold their heads up high going into 2024.
Timeline
| 10' | 16. Abbie Callanan | |
| 12' | 16. Abbie Callanan | |
| Ceola Bergin Emily Corbet | 38' | |
| 42' | 9. Rola Olusola | |
| Nicola Sinnott Orlaith Conlon | 65' | |
| Michaela Lawrence Edel Kennedy | 65' | |
| 75' | 22. Eve Dossen | |
| 75' | Abbie Callanan Siobhan Doolan | |
| 8. Edel Kennedy | 76' | |
| 79' | Amy Madden Roisin Jacob | |
| 85' | 9. Rola Olusola | |
| 85' | Jodie Griffin Orlaith Deasy | |
| 12. Ciara Rossiter | 92' |
Past Meetings
|
(Semi Final)
1 - 1Avenir Sports All-Island Cup
Ferrycarrig Park Wexford Youths WFC 1-1* Galway United FC |
|
(Round 1)
0 - 1LOI Women's Premier Division
Eamonn Deacy Park Galway United FC 0-1 Wexford Youths WFC |
Ground
| Ferrycarrig Park |
|---|
| Ferrycarrig Park, Kilpatrick, The Borough District of Wexford, County Wexford, Leinster, Y35 E296, Ireland |
That’s all she wrote for 2023! Galway come out victorious in Ferrycarrig with an emphatic 4-0 win to cap off a mostly successful campaign. For Wexford it’s yet another severely underwhelming performance and they will need to go back to the drawing board if they want to challenge in 2024.
Good effort by Slattery on a free kick from 30 yards, the ball was moving substantially in the air, but Nix was equal to it
It’s 4 for Galway. Nix tips an awkward cross away from dropping into the net, but the ball falls onto the goal line and Olusola is there to bundle the ball home
She is quickly followed by Kennedy for a tackle on Slattery
Dossen clatters Molloy in the corner to earn the first yellow card of the game
Great effort by Molloy from 20 yards has Ronayne scrambling to tip away the curling effort
This half has been far more competitive but Galway still seem likely to pounce for another especially with the pace of Olusola upfront
Slattery strikes the free kick high and wide
Free kick right on the edge for Galway who will want to put this good Wexford play to bed
Wexford hit the bar, a header back across from a deep corner bounces on the top of the bar and away
Brilliant mazy run by Molloy who jinks past three players before her final shot is blocked to deny Wexford a goal back
Wexford have started this half better, a good save by Nix from a Slattery strike on the edge of the area keeps the score respectable
Tantalising ball in by Rossiter, but no Youths player can quite reach to finish
Strike from afar by Thompson looks good in the air, but Nix is able to claim and hold the effort
Second half is now upon us
Half time whistle blows and it's almost impossible to envision way back into this one for a very poor Wexford side tonight. Two early goals by Callanan shook the home side who failed to mount a telling attack since, and the killer goal before halftime by Olusola should see Galway run out with the three points
Far too easy as Olusola is slipped through and buries the ball into the Wexford net, you have to ask where the Wexford defence had gone as Olusola seemed to have half the park to herself to score there. 3-0
Olusola breaks down the right at speed, but her cross is cut out by Nix vitally as Galway players lined up for the finish
Early substitution for Wexford, and it might not be an injury. Bergin is replaced by Corbet who will be tasked with giving the forward line some pep
It's a wintery, chilling evening here, the floodlights already well in use by the stroke of 5pm. The heavily clothed home crowd need something to break their teams poor performance and the frosty atmosphere in the ground as Callanan goes close again for Galway, flashing a header past the near post.
Strike from range by Slattery warms the palms of Nix who holds on well
Galway have been very impressive in this opening half hour, some of the Wexford players already look pretty defeated, they'll need a flash of inspiration from somewhere
Wexford are struggling to break past the Galway midfield, who seem stronger in every challenge
Wexford will have to ascertain some control after that blistering start from Galway, but the away team don't look like letting up, playing most of the football inside the Youths half
Wexford are rocking after the quick fire nature of those goals, and its a long road back now for the home side
And just moments later Callanan has done it again! The ball is pulled back to her, and with acres of space in the box, she tries the ball into the roof of tyre net to double her tally already
Callanan puts Galway in the lead after some very poor defending by Sinnott allows the Galway forward to steal in and slot the ball past a helpless Nix
Olusola breaks through immediately afterwards, but can't beat Nix in the one on one, and the danger is cleared
The ball drops to Thompson in the box but the Galway player snatches at the shot which goes well over
Some super play down the Wexford left and Rossiter is almost in, but is flagged offside
Wexford beat Galway 1-0 on the opening game of the season, a Ciara Rossiter goal was enough to give Wexford hope for a better season than has transpired
Wexford get us underway for the final time this year
Galway will look to better their consecutive fifth place finishes from the 2021 and 2022 season with a win here to hang onto the fourth place there currently occupy
Wexford are doomed to face their lowest ever finish in their history in the WNL, with at most a sixth place finish guaranteed after a very uninspiring campaign
Ferrycarrig Park is the stage of the final WNL game of the 2023 season, with Wexford Youths taking on Galway United in just a few moments