Wexford FC Unfortunately for Wexford fans, the promising opening day away win over Cabinteely in Stradbrook proved to be a false dawn and they have only managed to pick up one more victory in the following 16 outings, that being a 7-0 thrashing of ro
Wexford FC
Unfortunately for Wexford fans, the promising opening day away win over Cabinteely in Stradbrook proved to be a false dawn and they have only managed to pick up one more victory in the following 16 outings, that being a 7-0 thrashing of rock-bottom Athlone Town.
With only the midlanders below them and 12 points adrift of third from bottom Cobh Ramblers, manager Damian Locke will be all too aware that pride is all they have left to play for in the remainder of the season.
Having suffered humiliating 8-1 and 8-0 home defeats to Drogheda United and U.C.D. respectively earlier in the campaign, the Slaneysiders have at least looked a bit more solid in recent weeks.
The scoreless draw with Galway United at Ferrycarrig Park will offer them some crumbs of comfort during the mid-season break, but Wexford will need major improvements if they want to finish the campaign with any sense of positivity.
Mid-Season Rating: D
A D is probably more than a tad generous, and the only thing saving them from a lower grade is the fact that expectations would have been low at the start of the season and there’s a lot of young, inexperienced players in the squad. However, most followers would have hoped for some sort of improvements on the travails of last season.
It’s been pretty much a carbon copy of last term though as they find themselves second from bottom, detached from the team above them, with Athlone Town propping up the table.
Best Player: Dean Kelly
It’s hard to single out who has shone brightest for Wexford, but Kelly gets the nods for contributing four goals in a side that have struggled to find the net with any sort of regularity.
He offers a much-needed bit of creativity for Damian Locke’s men and his delivery from set-pieces is also a huge asset.
Most Promising Newcomer: Kealan Gaffney
The young goalkeeper was thrown in at the deep end early in the season and, in the main, acquitted himself well between the sticks. He has recently been deposed by the more experienced Corey Chambers, who has returned from studying in America, but Gaffney looks to have the attributes to carve out a bright future in the game.
Area They Need To Strengthen: Attack
Similar to last season Wexford FC just aren’t scoring enough goals, having hit the back of the net 16 times in their 17 games to date, with seven of those coming against a hapless Athlone Town outfit. That’s nine goals in their other 16 matches – a little better than a goal every two games.
Part of the problem has been that their focal point Aaron Dobbs has struggled with injury, but they are also prone to sitting too deep and they need to attack more as a unit.
