Match Report - Wexford 1-9 - 1-9 London

By Conor Martin @Conorjmartin96

London left it late as we picked up a well-deserved point as we recorded a 1-9 to 1-9 draw against Wexford to get our Allianz Football League Division Four campaign up and running.

Wexford would open the scoring in the second minute thanks to Sean Nolan who got the hosts up and running.

Sean Nolan would add a second Wexford point without a London reply in the tenth minute as both sides settled into the new league campaign.

London had to wait until after the 20 minute mark to register a score. Points in the 21st and 23rd minutes from Christopher Farley and Henry Walsh drew London level.

The Londoners wouldn’t have parity for long as the Yellowbellies kicked on with three unanswered points just before half-time as Michael Maher’s men trailed 0-5 to 0-2 at the break.

London began to find some rhythm in the second-half and we had our first point of the half thanks to captain Liam Gavaghan.

Mark Rossiter got the hosts second-half account up and running before Matthew Walsh and Gavaghan brought the Thamessiders within a point of Wexford.

But just as we got ourselves back in the game Wexford extended their lead to four thanks to Sean Nolan’s deflected shot that came off a London defender and into the London net.

Sean Nolan and Cian Hughes would increase that lead but London weren’t giving up and a Christopher Farley free followed by another Gavaghan point would reduce arrears once more.

Kevin O’Grady was also black carded as the game entered the final 10 minutes as London looked to make the numerical advantage count.

Liam Gallagher would point a free as London moved within three of Wexford but an Eoghan Nolan point in the 62nd minute meant the Wexford lead was four once more.

Wexford would not trouble the scoreboard for the remainder of the match.

A minute later a Farley free that flew over the bar meant a goal was the difference between the two sides.

After a couple of substitutions late on, Wexford were unable to kill London off and London were made to work hard by their hosts as they tried to salvage something from the game.

The Yellowbellies then lost Sean Nolan who was arguably their standout player to a second yellow card, accompanied by O’Grady who was also given his marching orders.

There was still time for some late drama, in the 76th minute the two Fulham Irish clubmates Conal Gallagher and Matthew Walsh combined as Walsh found the net on the stroke of full-time as we left Wexford with a hard-fought and well-deserved point.

Wexford: Craig McCabe; Brian Cushe, Páraic Hughes, Michael Furlong; Glen Malone (0-1), Brian Molloy, Gavin Sheehan; Darragh Lyons, Niall Hughes; Eoghan Nolan (0-1), Conor Kinsella, Kevin O’Grady (0-1); Cian Hughes (0-1), Sean Nolan (1-3), Mark Rossiter (0-2 frees).

Subs: Dean O’Toole for Kinsella (52), Ben Brosnan for C. Hughes (52), Cathal Walsh for Lyons (58), Dylan Furlong for M. Furlong (66), Conor Carty for Rossiter (70+1).

London: Kevin Mullan; Mickey Clarke, Eoin Walsh, Nathan McElwaine; Ronan Sloan, Cahir Healy, Aidan McLoughlin; Liam Gallagher (0-1), Stephen Dornan; Liam Gavaghan (0-3 frees), Matthew Walsh (1-1), Henry Walsh (0-1); Niall O’Leary, Enda Lynn, Christopher Farley (0-3 frees).

Subs: Chris Duggan for Henry Walsh (49), Conal Gallagher for Dornan (57), Eunan Curran for Healy (64), James Hynes for Lynn (69), Josh Obahor for O’Leary (70+4)

Referee: John Ryan (Cork).