Wexford Youths Women’s FC 1-2 Gintra

WEXFORD YOUTHS SUFFERED an agonising defeat on Thursday evening after a stoppage-time goal gave Gintra a 2-1 win in Ferrycarrig Park.

It meant a second loss of the week in the Uefa Champions League qualifying round to end their progression chances.

The Youths fell behind in the ninth minute to a Galleviciute goal. But they battled back and Lauren Dwyer deservedly levelled after the hour mark. But the game turned against the hosts as Dwyer was shown a red card for a tackle in the box midway through the second half.

The resulting penalty saw Alekperova fire wide, before Kozyrenko grabbed a last-minute winner for the visitors.

The Youths almost took a sixth-minute lead but the well-positioned Kylie Murphy couldn’t get the necessary contact to force it home.

Straight down the other end visiting striker Liucija Vaitukaityte played the through ball into midfielder Simona Velickaite but she couldn’t get power behind the ball and Youths keeper Tamara Furlong made an easy save.

But there was nothing she could do as Gintra took a ninth-minute lead. Dovile Galleviciute picked up possession 25 yards from goal and she fired high into the top left corner of Furlong’s goal to give the Lithuanian side a 1-0 lead.

An instinctive header from Claire O’Riordan almost levelled but she couldn’t get her header on target from a driven right-wing cross to trouble Gintra keeper Greta Kaselyte.

Nicola Sinnott did well down the right and crossed four minutes into the second half, but neither O’Riordan nor Linda Douglas could get a strike on goal.

Eight minutes into the second half, the Youths stretched Gintra. O’Riordan did brilliantly with a great run down the right, but with Kylie Murphy waiting in the penalty area, she couldn’t find the midfielder, before three minutes later O’Riordan fired wide from a tight angle inside the penalty area.

But the Youths made their pressure count 16 minutes into the second half. Emma Hansberry delivered the corner from the right and after the keeper had parried the first attempt, Dwyer fired home from the edge of the penalty area to draw Youths level.

But the game turned just minutes later as Youths were reduced to 10 players and facing a penalty kick. Lauren Dwyer made what looked like a superb retreating tackle on Kozyrenko as she looked to strike, but Greek referee Eleni Antoniou awarded the penalty and produced a red card. However, Alekperova fired the penalty left and wide of Furlong’s goal.

With a 15 minutes to go, the Youths continued to create chances but O’Riordan couldn’t turn Hansberry’s free-kick past Kaselyte. Hansberry was creating again minutes later but O’Riordan couldn’t get her header on target as the Youths pressed.

But in a cruel end for the home side, Gintra grabbed the winner in stoppage time. Youths keeper Furlong could only parry a cross from the right, and Tetyana Kozyrenko was on hand to grab the winner to keep Gintra’s progression in their own hands.

Wexford Youths: Tamara Furlong; Nicola Sinnott, Lauren Dwyer, Jessica Gleeson, Amy Walsh (Chelsee Snell 70); Linda Douglas, Kylie Murphy, Emma Hansberry, Maria Delahunty, Aisling Frawley; Claire O’Riordan.

Gintra Universitetas: Greta Kaselyte; Milda Liuzinaite (Ugne Smitaite 77), Vestina Neverdauskaite, Laetitia Chapeh Yimga, Ana Jelencic; Simona Velickaite, Dovile Galleviciute, Ana Alekperova, Zenetha Coleman (Thamolina Adams 65); Tetyana Kozyrenko, Liucija Vaitukaityte

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