An 81st minute goal from Yuta Sasaki ensured Cabinteely will go into the play-offs with a pep in their step as it was enough to see off a spirited Wexford FC side 2-1 in their SSE Airtricity League First Division encounter. Ronan O'Kelly had fired
An 81st minute goal from Yuta Sasaki ensured Cabinteely will go into the play-offs with a pep in their step as it was enough to see off a spirited Wexford FC side 2-1 in their SSE Airtricity League First Division encounter.
Ronan O'Kelly had fired the Dubliners in front ten minutes earlier, but a Conor English penalty moments later looked to have earned a point for the hosts, before Sasaki pounced for the winner.
The visitors certainly had the best of the chances in the first-half and they had their first sight of goal as early as the third minute when former Wexford FC man Shane Barnes fired a fierce shot on goal, but Corey Chambers was equal to it.
In the 14th minute Dean Casey fizzed a delicious delivery across the face of goal from the left wing, but Barnes just failed to get a touch with an outstretched leg. Barnes then turned provider midway through the half when he put Keith Dalton in the clear, but his shot was well dealt with by Chambers.
It wasn't all one-way traffic, however, and moments later Emmet Nugent walzed through and drove a rising effort over the crossbar from the edge of the area. Nugent was at it again early in the second-half when he went on a menacing run down the right before teeing up Sean Roche, but his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Benjamin Clark.
Cabinteely always looked threatening though and they eventually made the breakthrough with 70 minutes on the clock when Ronan O'Kelly swept the ball home after a Dalton cross was deflected into his path.
Wexford looked to have rescued a share of the spoils in the 78th minute when Conor English coolly slotted home a penalty kick, but there was still time for one more twist in the tale.
O'Kelly was involved again, whipping in an inviting cross from the left, and Sasaki met his delivery with a diving header to give Chambers no chance. To their credit the hosts battled until the end and Andrew Farrell was denied by Clark in injury time, while Nugent headed the resulting corner over.
