U14 Eddie Wallace Cup - Klub Kildare 2 Bray Wanderers 6

 

Bray booked their place in the last 16 of the Eddie Wallace Cup competition with a decisive 6-2 away victory over Klub Kildare. 

James Loughnane’s double at the FBD Hotels and Resorts Park was added to by singles by Alex Mernagh, Olivier Gnutek, Nathan Roberts Byrne and Aaron Kelly-Mladin on Sunday afternoon. 

The result was the Green and White’s first win on the road in the section as they made it three victories from their five Group C matches. 

From the kick-off, the visitors dominated and could not make the most of two early openings inside the first three minutes. 

But the Green and White’s did get off the mark in the fourth minute when Loughnane held the ball up, swivelled and dispatched to the net from 18-yards. 

That tally was added to superbly in the ninth minute through Alex Mernagh’s 25 -yard free kick. 

Klub Kildare quickly hit back when Callum Reilly pounced on an error in the away defence and make it 2-1 just 90 seconds later. 

However, Wanderers responded quickly on the quarter hour when under pressure, an error in the home defence saw Gnutek tap in from five yards. 

Bray didn’t let up and soon scored again with a really well worked team effort in the 26th minute. Nathan Roberts Byrne was set free on the edge of the oppositions box and finished will a low drilled effort. 

The Seasiders made it 5-1 in the 32nd minute when a short corner isaw the ball played back to taker Aaron Mladin Kelly who floated a cross to the back post which found the top corner. 

Yet, the away side were reduced to ten players on 55 following a second yellow card. 

Klub Kildare capitalised when Reilly grabbed his second with a low shot from ten-yards on the hour mark. 

But the Green and White’s had the final say in the 62nd minute and added a sixth goal through Loughnane. 

 

Bray Wanderers: Shane O’Dowd; Lewis Brady, Rhys Behan, Ryan Higgins, Senan Dutton; Aaron Kelly-Mladin, Daniel Howard, Alex Mernagh, Nathan Roberts Byrne; Olivier Gnutek, James Loughnane. 

 

Subs: Aaron Nolan, Sean Goggin, Leighton Carroll, Cillian Walsh, Conor Cunningham. 

 

* Elsewhere in the section, UCD beat Shamrock Rovers 2-1 at Marley Park while Shelbourne defeated Wexford FC 3-0 at Ferrycarrig Park.