Wexford Youths 0-2 Galway United
Vinny Flaherty maintained his hot scoring streak with a second half brace of goals to move Galway United back up to third place in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division table.
The well-taken double made it four goals in three league games for the in-form striker to bring his tally for the season to seven.
Keen to put last week’s 4-0 defeat at St Patrick’s Athletic behind them, Youths started brightly and might have been ahead with a real chance just two minutes in.
Paul Murphy threaded Andy Mulligan in on goal, but Galway keeper Conor Winn was off his line quickly to save with his feet.
Youths keeper Graham Doyle then saw action at the other end five minutes later, back-pedalling frantically to push away Flaherty's flicked shot after Marc Ludden picked him out from a throw.
Faherty had another chance on 20 minutes, though he failed to connect well with skipper Ryan Connolly’s free kick as his header was glanced wide.
Galway then suffered an injury blow three minutes later when central defender Stephe Folan limped off to be replaced by Kilian Cantwell.
As with Faherty minutes earlier, Youths’ striker Murphy had a similar chance, but also sliced his header wide from a Danny Ledwith free kick.
But Doyle had to come to Youths’ rescue again just past the half hour with his second telling save of the first half. Ludden was again the instigator on the left flank, putting Padraic Cunningham in on goal with Doyle out promptly to save.
With the action swinging from end to end, Youths’ Murphy found himself with an opening on 37 minutes. His lob had just a little too much purchase on it as it dropped wide of Winn’s far post.
Galway broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half when a foul by Chris Kenny on Stephen Walsh was clinically punished by the Tribesmen.
Connolly whipped the free kick into area where Faherty found the far corner of the net with a well-placed header.
Galway should have been further ahead on 63 minutes. First Faherty’s effort was bravely blocked by Stephe Last. Doyle then excelled with the save of the night, getting down to his right to keep out Cunningham’s low drive.
But in a carbon copy of their first goal, Galway doubled their lead on 69 minutes.
Again Connolly put his diagonal free kick into the area for Faherty who rose at the far post to head past Doyle.
John Sullivan was inches from a third for Galway on 75 minutes said minutes later. Faherty turned cleverly in the area to set up the midfielder who cracked a right-foot shot off Doyle’s crossbar.
Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle; Craig McCabe, Gary Delaney, Stephen Last, Danny Ledwith; Aidan Friel (Conor Whittle 79), Jonny Bonner, Chris Kenny, Andy Mulligan; Eric Molloy; Paul Murphy.
Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Paul Sinnott, Stephen Folan (Kilian Cantwell 23), Stephen Walsh; Gary Shanahan, John Sullivan, Ryan Connolly, Marc Ludden; Padraic Cunningham (Ruairi Keating 85), Vinny Faherty.
Referee: Adriano Reale (Kildare).
