Five-Star Day for Farrell and Friends

Main picture - Ruby Norris in control for the Under-23s (Photo - Wexford FC)

 

It was a great weekend for Waterford FC’s Under-17s teams as both the male and female sides had terrific wins against CK United and Kerry respectively. 

Megan O’Regan was the star for the girls as she struck a first-half hat-trick in their 4-1 home win on Saturday. The Blues are having a strong campaign in Tier Two (South) and the former Villa FC schoolgirl took just ten minutes to build on that form with the opening goal. O’Regan doubled the lead on the half hour when she finished a pass from captain Jodie Roche and completed her hat-trick four minutes later from an assist by Amy Walsh. 

It was four and game over by the 39th minute when Walsh, again, set Mollie Dooling up to claim her first goal for the club since joining this summer. Ireland Under-15 international Dooling had extra reason to celebrate as she received news this week that she has been chosen to play for the Munster U15 Schools Interprovincial team in Athlone next month. Kerry pulled a goal back through Alannah Daly, but the win was never in doubt for John MacLean’s Blues who consolidated their position in third place in the table and can start planning for the knockout stages. 

 

Harry Farrell on the double against CK United

Their counterparts on the boys’ side had a spectacular win away in Killeshin on Sunday when they overcame CK United on a 5-2 scoreline. Harry Farrell bookended the scoring with a brace of goals in an important win for Derek Hearne’s side. Farrell, a student at Edmund Rice school in Carrick-on-Suir, gave Waterford the lead in the 18th minute from a pass by Callum Slattery. Andrian Robbu equalised soon after for the Carlow-Kilkenny club and it remained 1-1 at the half-time break.

The goals only began to flow in the final quarter of the game with defender Joel Obesie putting the Blues back in front on 67 minutes and Tiernan O’Brien scoring his second goal in the last three games four minutes later from an assist by Farrell. Kian Renwick seemed to have sealed the win when he finished a Julian Power pass in the 82nd minute, but the hosts clawed another goal back through Patryk Werra late in the game. There was still enough time for Farrell to complete a five-star performance for Waterford with his second goal deep in stoppage time from another assist by Power. The win keeps the Blues in third place and still firmly in the hunt to win Tier Two (South) with three matches left to play. 

 

Billy Carney earned two caps for Ireland this week

Waterford’s Under-23s were unlucky to fall to a late 1-0 defeat away to Wexford in the Women’s Development League on Sunday. A sterling effort against a very strong opponent came up just short when first-team phenomenon Mia Whelan scored with a glorious 83rd-minute lob for her 29th goal of the campaign. 

The prolific Nathan Power kept up his form to open the scoring for the Under-15s from a pass by Bradley Connolly, but Waterford ultimately fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to Dundalk. Two quickfire goals before half-time did the damage. Next up for the Blues is a tasty Munster derby against Cork City this coming weekend.

There was no joy for the Under-14s as their quest for three consecutive wins was smashed by Wexford in a 5-1 loss at SETU Arena. Jesse Julian scored for the fourth game running, but the Blues were overpowered on the day.

Congratulations to Waterford FC midfielder Billy Carney on his successful trip to France with the Republic of Ireland Under-16s last week. The New Ross native played the full ninety minutes in the first of two matches against the French in Clarefontaine and came off the bench to feature in the second. One to watch.