Sumner Days

Cover photo - Emma Bibby clashes with Cobh

 

Five academy teams were in action for Waterford FC at the weekend with mixed results, but plenty of promise in the early stages of the long league campaign.

The Under-15s made it back-to-back wins to start the season when they won 2-0 away in Kildare on Saturday. An excellent all-round performance began with Aeden Sumner giving the Blues the lead as early as the third minute when he cut inside and struck a shot that deceived the goalkeeper and went in off the post. Both backlines were on top with some top-quality defending so it took a moment of magic to create the second goal as half-time approached. After terrific hustle and work from Charlie Flynn and Nathan Power, the ball fell to James Ferncombe who finished beautifully to double the advantage. Waterford controlled the second half with Power, Sumner and Rian Byrne all going close to extending the lead, but they had done more than enough to maintain their 100% record. Well done to Aaron English on an impressive debut at this level having been called up from the Under-14s.

Sunday saw the Under-17 boys picking up their first win of the season when they beat Klub Kildare 2-1 at SETU Arena. The visitors took an early lead through Paul Abankwah (brother of Udinese’s James), but the Blues were undeterred and levelled through Callum Slattery in the 27th minute with Evan Lonergan providing the assist. Then, they went ahead two minutes into the second half when Ryan Butler set Harry Farrell up to score and it stayed 2-1 at the end of ninety.

Waterford’s Under-23s were edged out in a 3-2 defeat against Cobh Ramblers in Carriganore, also on Sunday, but were desperately unlucky not to equalise in the dying minutes when 16-year-old Zoe O’Sullivan hit the crossbar. The Blues took the lead through a great finish from a tight angle by Kate Tomkins in the 19th minute after a throughball from Eva O’Gorman. Cobh made full use of a strong wind in difficult conditions to go in 3-1 up at half-time with Olivia Gibson (who had signed for Waterford’s first team last season, but withdrew) at the heart of it all - scoring the equaliser and making Ramblers tick – while Kelsey Cooper and Jane Finlay added two more in a five-minute spell before the break. With that scoreline not reflecting proceedings fairly, the Blues eventually pulled one back in the 88th minute. It was Tomkins again, tapping in a low cross by O’Sullivan who then went so close to salvaging a point.

 

Jack Garrett playing a long pass for the Under-20s (Cian Kelly)

Waterford FC’s Under-14s had their first away trip of the season as they lost 5-2 to Klub Kildare on Sunday afternoon. The young Blues battled back well after a tough opening saw them three-nil down by the end of the first of three thirty-minute periods against a strong wind. Enoch Mich pulled one back in the second – already his third goal in two games – and Aaron English reduced the deficit to the minimum, but Kildare added two more goals with the influence of the conditions shown by all seven goals being scored into the one end. 

Having started the season with a great away win against CK United last week, the Under-20s will be frustrated to have fallen to a 2-0 defeat to Klub Kildare at SETU Arena on Saturday, albeit missing a number of key players. It just wasn’t Waterford’s day with last week’s hero, Romeo Lapite, missing the chance to give the Blues the lead from the penalty spot in the 38th minute when Shaun Hall made the save. Instead, it was the visitors who opened the scoring after 57 minutes when Vuyo Mosea rounded Igor Bacela and netted.

Manager Eddie Nolan threw the kitchen sink at Kildare with attacking substitutions, but the equaliser wouldn’t come with goalkeeper Hall producing a series of saves. With the Blues fully committed forward, Kildare were able to break and add a second in the 95th minute through Ilya Bednakovs. There was a Blues debut for Filip Wasilewski who joined the club recently from Wexford FC. Waterford will look to get back on track next weekend when they face Wexford in what promises to be a tasty derby at Ferrycarrig Park.