Abbie Brophy scored her debut goal for Wexford Youths Women in a comfortable 4-1 win over DLR Waves at Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
Interim caretaker manager Lizzy Kent would have been satisfied with a strong performance from her team who made their long awaited return to Women’s Premier Division action after the month long World Cup break.
There was a first start of the season for Jess Lawler after a string of excellent performances for the U19s while Ellen Molloy and Edel Kennedy were named amongst the substitutes.
Wexford took the lead in the 3rd minute, Kylie Murphy hooking a close range left foot effort over Eve Badana. The Youths captain almost added a second five minutes later but the Waves net minder was well placed to tip her powerful header over the bar.
The visitors were level with their first real chance of the game, Michelle Doonan firing a right foot shot past Maeve Williams in the 18th minute. Wexford reacted well to the shock of conceding and were back on the front foot straight away, Badana keeping her side in it with two incredible saves from Murphy and Rianna Jarrett in quick succession. The Dublin side still looked dangerous on the break however and Williams did well to save from Freya Roche on the half hour mark.
Wexford would go in with a deserved lead though after Jarrett latched onto a lovely through ball from Freya DeMange and lobbed the advancing keeper to make it 2-1 two minutes before the half time whistle.
After a scrappy restart Wexford started to control the game and came close to extending their lead with good chances falling to Aoibheann Clancy and Abbie Brophy.
Lizzy Kent freshened things up with Emily Corbet, Lauren Dwyer, Edel Kennedy, Michaela Lawrence and Ceola Bergin all coming in and that kicked the team on as the contest went into the last quarter.
Brophy blasted in a third goal for the Youths in the 78th minute, a richly deserved reward for a player who has been one of the standout performers at the club this season.
A cool finish from Emily Corbet in the 82nd settled the contest (her fifth goal of the season) but the scoreline could have been even more emphatic if not for Badana who again denied Ceola Bergin and Michaela Lawrence with two more great saves at the end.
The teams will meet again in the First Round of the FAI Cup this weekend, the game taking place at the UCD Bowl this Saturday.
Wexford Youths Women: Maeve Williams, Méabh Russell, Orlaith Conlon, Nicola Sinnott, Ciara Rossiter (Emily Corbet 61′), Aoibheann Clancy, Kylie Murphy (c) (Michaela Lawrence 84′), Abbie Brophy, Freya DeMange (Edel Kennedy 67′), Jess Lawler (Lauren Dwyer 59′), Rianna Jarrett (Ceola Bergin 78′)
Subs Not used: Claudia Keenan, Ellen Molloy, Áine Walsh, Mia Lenihan
DLR Waves: Eve Badana, Hannah Tobin-Jones (Nicole Keogh 83′), Jess Gleeson (c), Isobel Finnegan, Mia Chambers (Cliodhna Donnelly 71′), Neema Nyangasi, Amber Cosgrave, Freya Roche (Ruth McConnell 83′), Oleta Griffin, Michelle Doonan, Eve Conheady (Eve O’Brien 52′)
Subs Not Used: Rugile Auskalnyte, Lauren Strong, Rebecca McMahon, Bronagh Kane
