Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Previous editions
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
IN the match programme for last night’s visit of Wolves to Ferrycarrig Park, Mr Wexford Youths himself, Mick Wallace, recalled holding trials for the county U16s in Drinagh on a Sunday morning in October 1998.
Later, Mick’s brother Willie asked if young Kevin Doyle had been there and was he as good as local reputation already suggested.
"Good?" Mick Wallace replied. "I’d walk a 100 miles to watch him play."
Last night, the believers – substantially swelled in numbers since that day – only had to travel a couple of miles to see the now international striker back on home turf.
A crowd of 2,700 filled Ferrycarrig Park to its capacity for the visit of Premier League outfit Wolves, time-honoured titans of the English game whose regulation gold and black offered a strikingly old-fashioned contrast to the bright pink strip of the club who only came into being three years ago.
The fans were made to wait for the appearance of the local hero, however, with Doyle’s fellow Irish international Andy Keogh handed the leading role at the start as manager Mick McCarthy was understandably cautious about risking some of his bigger guns.
Contrary to Giovanni Trapattoni’s mantra, there are actually such things as friendly games nowadays.
Family friendly ones too.
On Sunday night, the Wolves squad had dined in the Ye Olde Coopers Inn, the pub in Killinnick owned by Kevin Doyle’s parents. And the visitors’ trip to the sunny south-east had continued with a walk on Curracloe Beach yesterday.
By last night’s kick-off, however, damp and cold conditions prevailed at Ferrycarrig Park and, if truth be told, the underwhelming fare in the opening stages did little to raise the spirits of the crowd.
After 20 minutes, Keogh did come close to breaking the deadlock, working some space before attempting to chip Packie Holden. But the former Waterford United goalkeeper reacted well, getting one hand to the ball.
But the superiority of the Premier League professionals began to show itself in the second half, and it took Wolves only five minutes to break the deadlock, a passing move ending with Stefan Maierhofer’s close-range finish from Nenad Milijas’ low cross.
A few minutes later, Gary Sheahan had the crowd roaring as he bore down on the Wolves goal at full speed but his shot on the run was always rising at it flew over the crossbar.
Finally, the man of the hour arrived, Doyle coming on 25 minutes from the end. However, he didn’t exactly have the impact McCarthy hoped for as, for the second time on the night, Gary Sheahan’s pace down the right ripped open the Wolves defence and, this time, when his first attempt came back to him off Greg Halford, the former Limerick man gleefully blasted the rebound to the back of the net.
It swung back in Wolves’ way in the 76th minute, Keogh finishing when put through on goal, to give the Premier League side a 2-1 lead.
So no goal for the homecoming hero then but a heart-warming night nonetheless for Doyle. But, as Irish fans are well aware, the heart-racing nights are still to come.
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