Kerry FC 1 Bray Wanderers 3
Bray did a clean sweep of four SSE Airtricity First Division wins over Kerry this season to remain in the play-off hunt.
On a record breaking night at Mounthawk Park, Yoyo Mahdy broke Kieran ‘Tarzan O’Brien’s 26-year record for the fastest ever goal scored by the club after just 10/11 seconds.
With the hosts down to ten men for the entire second period on Friday evening, Wanderers grabbed two more score goals to leave the Kingdom with all three points.
There were four changes to the team who succumbed to Waterford last week.
Goalkeeper Matt Connor returned between the posts. Midfielder Harry Groome was recalled while Jake Walker and Mahdy led the line.
On the bench, player/coach Lorcan Fitzgerald was recalled while U19 striker Thomas Morgan was included for the first time this season.
The hosts were dealt a blow when top-scorer Ryan Kelliher was injured in the warm-up. And replaced by Daniel Okwute in the line-up.
Even worse was to follow as straight from the tip-off, the Seagulls scored.
Walker played the ball to Groome who squared right to Max Murphy. He launched a long ball forward. Mahdy got between two defenders and cushioned a header beyond Arthur Nganou from the edge of the box.
It beat the previous record by 11 seconds – which was set by Tarzan way back in September 1997.
However, Kerry were back on level terms in the eighth minute.
From a long ball up the middle, Matt Connor raced out to head clear under pressure from Leo Gaxha.
It dropped to Sean McGrath, challenged by two Bray players, to lift the ball from 30-yards to the unguarded net.
After Cian Barrett was yellow carded on 31 for a foul on Darren Craven, Guillermo Almirall’s subsequent free-kick struck the post although Nganou may have got a touch.
The opening period was in stoppage time when Callum Thompson scampered down the right flank. He was clipped by Barrett with referee Daniel Murphy producing the red card for a second booking.
Unlike last week when unable to breakdown the ten-men of Waterford, the Wicklow side were measured in their approach this time round. Two goals in four minutes midway through the period secured the points.
The extra man advantage paid off first in the 63rd minute.
Murphy’s lofted pass along the right channel found Walker in the box. His hooked half volley cross found the unmarked Mahdy who got to the bouncing ball before Almirall to head in from close range.
With captain Dave Webster not involved and vice-skipper Dane Massey on the bench, the armband went to Craven.
He marked his 50th appearance for the club in style with a wonderful free-kick in the 66th minute.
After Mahdy was felled wide left between the corner flag and the box, Craven whipped the dead-ball superbly to the far top corner of the net.
In the closing stages, Morgan became the latest player to come through the underage pathway as he made his first senior appearance.
Kerry FC: Arthur Nganou; Kevin Williams, Ethan Kos (Robert Vasiu half time), Jonathan Hannafin, Sean O’Connell; Cian Barrett, Martin Coughlan (Ronan Teahan 67); Sean Kennedy (Cian Brosnan 67), Leo Gaxha, Sean McGrath; Daniel Okwute.
Subs not used: Alex Ainscough, Ryan Kelliher, Nathan Gleeson, Samuel Aladesanusi, Kennedy Amechi, Lee Axworthy Duggan.
Booked: Coughlan 22, Okwute 70, Gaxha 89.
Sent off: Barrett (booked 31 and 45 + 2)
Bray Wanderers: Matthew Connor; Max Murphy, Cole Omorehiomwan, Seán Quinn, Len O’Sullivan; Darren Craven (Thomas Morgan 87), Harry Groome (Conor Crowley 66), Guillermo Almirall; Callum Thompson (Conor Knight 84), Jake Walker (Chris Lyons 66), Yoyo Mahdy (Conor Davis 67)
Subs not used: Dane Massey, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Daniel Chukwu, Alex Moody.
Booked: Almirall 45 + 1, Craven 70, Murphy 74, O’Sullivan 90 + 3.
Referee: Daniel Murphy.
Pictures: Adam Kowalczyk.
