Bray Wanderers 5 Finn Harps 0
Daniel Chukwu’s hat-trick sent Bray into round two of the EA SPORTS MU19 League of Ireland Enda McGuill Cup.
Thomas Morgan’s brace also helped Wanderers go in 4-0 up at the break in the round one tie against Finn Harps in Sunday afternoon at Ballycorus.
Under glorious sunshine, the Wicklow side need just 11 minutes to hit the front.
Just inside the visitor’s half, Lewis Jacobs slipped in Chukwu along the right channel. He glided past a defender on his way into the box. The winger then created space to fire in left footed from 15-yards.
It got even better for the hosts in the 23rd minute.
Away custodian Oisin Farrell made a diving save to push out a shot. The ball went left and was picked up by Zach Nolan. He beat an opponent by the end-line and drilled low to pick out the unmarked Morgan to tap in close in.
A third score arrived in the 31st minute.
The Seagulls broke with Morgan finding Chukwu wide right. He skipped past two tackles by jinking into the penalty area and finishing low from close range at the near post.
Five minutes before the interval, Bray notched a fourth.
Nolan fed Roland Olakanye along the left flank. His centre picked out Jacobs whose shot was deflected in the penalty area. It fell to Morgan who slotted in low from six-yards.
The second period was a much more even contest. But the home team were still creating the clear-cut chances.
Chukwu blazed over on 56 with the goal at his mercy after Olakanye’s cut-back. He was then denied by Farrell’s diving save on 75.
With eight minutes to go, Bray added to their tally.
Chukwu chased a through ball up the middle. Farrell came out and collided with a team-mate. The ball rebounded to Chukwu who steadied himself to roll into an empty net.
A minute later, Farrell pulled off a point-blank save to thwart Morgan after good work by sub Jack Murray.
Bray Wanderers: Jack Ross; Joshua Kerr, Caleb O’Neill, Leon Ajala, Zach Nolan; Jack Kehoe, Max Hennessy; Daniel Chukwu, Thomas Morgan, Roland Olakanye; Lewis Jacobs.
Subs: Jack Murray, Don O Toole, Brent Culbert, Alexander Kearney.
Finn Harps: Oisin Farrell; Dylan McAteer, Sean O’Kane, Ryan Creevy, Brendan McLaughlin; Jamie McKinney; Ben O’Donnell, Jay Bradley, Adam Duffy, Max Johnston; Nathan Plumb.
Subs: Darragh Coyle, Shaunie Bradley, Joshua Maxwell, Jamie Harris, Nathan McDaid, Oisin Cooney.
Referee: David Connolly. Assistants: Conor Fitzgibbon, Sarah Dyas.
Bray goalscorers Thomas Morgan (2) and Daniel Chukwu (3).
