Bray Wanderers 3 Carlow/Kilkenny FC 0
Three goals in the final third of the match saw Bray register their first home win in Group C of this season’s EA Sports National Underage League.
Depleted by international call-up’s and injury, Wanderers finally broke down a stubborn Carlow/Kilkenny defence after the hour mark on Sunday afternoon at Ballycorus.
It wasn’t until the 63rd minute that the home side found the breakthrough. Substitute Darragh Emmett latched onto a loose pass to slot to the net with a first time low finish from 15-yards.
It became 2-0 nine minutes later. Max Colbert skipped in off the left wing and fed Emmett. He then played a fine reverse pass to slip in Philip Cooney who drove low from 16-yards. Reserve goalkeeper Ben Allen got his hand to the shot but could not prevent it crossing the line.
Matters were wrapped up in the 79th minute. Colbert gathered a ball wide left and burst past two defenders. Racing into the box, he coolly found the net with a close range finish.
Colbert has earlier struck the post in the 20th minute from a 20-yard low drive. The visitors had previously gone close with home custodian Sam Baker had thwarted Kyle O’Reilly in the tenth minute.
Carlow/Kilkenny went close to taking a 50th minute lead when sub Jakub Warachim dragged an effort wide.
Allen denied Emmett three minutes later with a fine later block before Warachim’s 56th minute snap-shot flew just wide.
Despite the result, a top two placing is out of the Seagulls reach now. But third spot up against Shelbourne is still a possibility – depending on other results.
Bray are provisionally fixed to host Shamrock Rovers next Sunday (May 15) at Ballycorus. But it is subject to approval.
Bray Wanderers: Sam Baker; Fionn Murray, Ronan Dawson, Ross Young, Roddy Cotter; Aidan Kane; Janek Sarwinski, Rhys Knight, Ethan Cheese; Philip Cooney, Mac Colbert.
Subs: Ciaran Leeson, Dylan Bourke, Darragh Emmett.