Cork City finish league in last place after loss in Wexford

Wexford 3 Cork City 0 

Cork City closed off their season with a 3-0 defeat to Wexford in the Women’s Premier Division at Ferrycarrig Park.

The result means that the Rebel Army finish the year stuck to the bottom of the table, one point behind league newcomers Waterford FC.

The game did mark Barry Ryan’s first game as head coach after the announcement that the U19s manager had stepped up to the senior team midweek.

The Tipperary native set up his side to face a Wexford outfit that had three former Cork City players in their starting XI - Maria O’Sullivan, Becky Cassin, and Freya De Mange.

A Kylie Murphy hat-trick was their undoing, with the first goal coming in the 13th minute from a free-kick.

The four time Women’s Premier Division winner headed that on at the back post and a touch from Clodagh Fitzgerald guided the ball over the line.

The striker got a second by turning in an Ellen Dolan corner and that gave Wexford a comfortable 2-0 advantage in the 31st minute.

The home side picked up where they left off, by winning a corner and sending it to Cassin. The midfielder sent it straight to Ciara Rossiter for a right legged shot at the back post that went wide.

Ryan and his coaching team reacted to this by replacing Jodie Griffin with Aine Walsh in an attack minded substitute designed to add pace into the final third.

The best effort for City actually came from Heidi Mackin and a shot from distance by the midfielder forced O’Sullivan into an uncomfortable stop in the 72nd minute.

Wexford continued to dominate despite this small incursion, and that meant further chances for the home side.

Clodagh Fitzgerald stood up when needed, while Ciara McNamara worked closely with Zoe Finnerty to close down and limit space in the final third.

The Rebel Army continued to make changes as they tried to reinvent themselves late on. Cliodhna Malone and Grace Flanagan were two that came on, to replace Christina Dring and Holly O’Hagan in the 65th minute.

Wexford remained in charge, and with that came a low Molloy shot in the 80th minute from the edge of the area. This took a touch, which allowed Fitzgerald to adjust her stance and get to the ball at the near post.

The home side kept momentum with various changes throughout the second half, which allowed them to keep control of the game until the referee blew his whistle.

There were four minutes added on at the end and Murphy grabbed her third with a header from a cross.

WEXFORD: Maria O’Sullivan; Della Doherty, Lauren Dwyer, Anna Doane, Freya De Mange, Becky Cassin, Aoife Kelly, Ciara Rossiter, Ellen Molloy, Orlaith Conlon, Kylie Murphy.

Subs: Molloy Kirwan for Rossiter (68); Méabh Russell for Doherty (89), Charlotte Cromack for Conlon (89), Lauren Kelly for De Mange (85), Millie Daly for Cassin (85).

CORK CITY: Clodagh Fitzgerald; Zoe Finnerty, Ciara O'Driscoll, Ciara McNamara, Shaunagh McCarthy, Heidi Mackin, Lauren Homan, Holly O’Hagan, Eva Mangan, Jodie Griffin, Christina Dring.

Subs: Aine Walsh for Griffin (51); Cliodhna Malone for Dring (65), Grace Flanagan for O’Hagan (65), Eva Loftus for McCarthy (87), Cathranne Fitzgerald for McNamara (87).

Referee: Kate O’Brien