Seventeen year old striker Ceola Bergin scored three in Wexfords six goal rout of Cliftonville Ladies in the All-Island Cup at Ferrycarrig on Saturday evening.
Hugh Strong’s team got their first win of 2024 in stunning fashion, Emily Corbet (2) and Ellen Molloy rounding out the scoring to put Wexford on top of Group B going into the last round of games.
Cliftonville were NIFL champions in 2022 and runners up in the League and All-Island Cup in 2023 so arrived in the south east with confidence. The home team headed into the game with two defeats and two draws in their first four games of the season.
The form book was turned on its head though with Wexford taking the lead in the 11th minute, Bergin finding the corner of the net after beating the visitors offside trap. The young striker came close again minutes later but blasted over from an angle. The U19 Player of the Year did find her second goal in the 24th minute when her left foot shot from inside the box deceived the keeper.
Wexford kept the pressure on and Ellen Molloy should have made it three when set through on goal but she fired over with just the keeper to beat. Molloy made amends in the 39th after beating her marker and slotting a left foot shot away. Wexford 3-0 up at the break.
The visitors came out fast in the second half but found it difficult making chances, their only real effort on goal coming on the hour mark when Nicole Nix saved comfortably from Vicky Carleton.
Wexford continued to look dangerous any time they got forward and it was no surprise to see a fourth goal coming, Bergin completing her hat-trick in the 69th minute with a lovely chip over McAlister. The result not in doubt changes were made but it didn’t affect the flow of the game, the home team brimming with confidence at this point.
Emily Corbet put the icing on the cake with a brace in the final five minutes, her first been the goal of the day – a left foot screamer into the top corner. Her second in stoppage time, a calm left foot finish.
Wexford will return to Ferrycarrig next week with Shelbourne the visitors in the League.
Wexford FC Women: Nix, Tuthill, Doherty, Sinnott, Russell, Rossiter (Lenihan 62′), Clancy, Murphy (c) (Daly 73′), Walsh (Lynch 62′), Molloy (De Mange 73′), Bergin (Corbet 73′).
Subs Not Used: Williams, Merren, Brophy, McGrath.
Cliftonville Ladies: McAlister, Burrows, Doherty, Finnegan (Anderson 67′), McDaniel, C. McGuinness, O’Neill (Markey 57′), K McGuinness (Irvine 75′) , Callaghan (c), O. McGuinness (Carelton 57′), Magee.
Subs Not Used: Stewart
