Bray Wanderers 0 Shamrock Rovers 0 (after extra time). Bray won 4-2 on penalties.
Carlisle Grounds, EA Sports cup, 1 April 2019
Bray Wanderers reached the quarter finals of the EA Sports cup with this penalty shoot-out win over Shamrock Rovers after an entertaining 120 minutes failed to produce a goal.
Wanderers made four changes to the team that defeated Cobh Ramblers in the league three days previously. Hugh Douglas, Darragh Gibbons, Luka Lovic and Brandon McCann replaced Sean Heaney, Derek Daly, Dean O’Halloran and Richie Purdy. Gibbons returned from injury for his first outing of the season with Killian Cantwell operating in central midfield.
Bray started well and Barnett’s corner on seven minutes was met by Cantwell who rose highest but headed straight at Pohls. Three minutes later, Brandon Kavanagh fired just wide of Sava’s post. Dylan McGlade had a chance but a deflection off Lopes allowed Pohls to save easily. Pohls then saved well to deny Joe Doyle after a Bray break lead by Lovic.
Ten minutes from time, Vojic’s shot came back off the Bray crossbar before been cleared to safety. On the stroke of full time a Wanderers free kick from Barnett was easily saved by Pohls.
There was action at both ends in the final minutes of extra time. Firstly, Hugh Douglas conceded a free kick on the edge of the area. The resulting low free kick was blocked by the Wanderers wall. A quick breakaway from Wanderers ended with McGlade firing a shot off the foot of the post and the ball bounced back into play hitting off Pohle.
Rovers started the penalties with Bolger converting. Lovic scored for Wanderers before Kavanagh’s effort came back off the post for Rovers. Purdy then converted for Wanderers before ex-Wanderer Aaron Greene’s penalty was saved by Sava. McGlade converted for Wanderers and Watts for Rovers. Dylan Barnett fired home to seal victory for Wanderers.
Bray Wanderers: 1 Gabriel Sava; 22 Luke Nolan, 2 Hugh Douglas, 15 Darragh Gibbons, 3 Dylan Barnett; 8 Philip Gannon, 17 Luka Lovic, 4 Kilian Cantwell, 19 Brandon McCann; 10 Dylan McGlade; 9 Joe Doyle.
Subs: 5 Sean Heaney, 11 Derek Daly (for McCann 74), 12 Andrew McGovern, 14 Jake Ellis (for Doyle 95), 16 Adam Hayden (gk), 24 Richie Purdy (for Gannon 64), 25 Cian Maher (for Nolan 71).
Shamrock Rovers: 25 Leon Pohls; 3 Sam Bone, 4 Roberto Lopes (c), 11 Sean Kavanagh, 20 Trevor Clarke; 10 Aaron McEneff, 7 Dylan Watts; 24 Dean Dillon, 11 Brandon Kavanagh, 17 Joel Coustrain; 9 Orhan Vojic
Subs: 1 Alan Mannus (gk), 2 James Furlong, 5 Lee Grace (for McEneff H/T), 6 Greg Bolger (for Bone 58), 16 Darren Nugent, 22 Aaron Greene (for Lopes 106), 26 Thomas Oluwa (for Dillon 81)
Referee: Derek Tomney
Match report: Michael Duffy
Photos: Peter Minogue
Attendance: 635