U15 Match Report - Bray Wanderers 2 UCD 1

 

 

Substitute Nathan Roberts Byrne grabbed a second half winner as Bray claimed their first EA SPORTS MU15 LOI win of the 2025 season. 

The striker was only three minutes on the pitch when he scored what proved to be the crucial Group A goal on Saturday afternoon at Berryfield Park in Enniskerry. 

Alex Mernagh played a slide rule pass along the right channel to release Roberts Byrne in the 69th minute. From just inside the corner of the box, the sub angled in a low drive to the far left bottom corner of the net. 

Wanderers had lost their opening fixture 4-1 away to Bohemians. But started well in what was UCD’s first outing. 

Away custodian Conor Wheeler denied Conor Cunningham on 14. Six minutes later, the keeper tipped Cunningham’s effort around the post. 

Yet the Student’s went close to taking a 24th minute lead. 

Home netminder Elliot Homan got down well to parry Mahmoud Hamad’s low effort. Jack Corrigan seemed certain to score off the rebound. But somehow the covering Ryan Higgins got back to make a goal-line block. 

Less than a minute later at the other end, Cunningham played in Olivier Gnutek. But the forward poked narrowly wide. 

Bray hit the front on the half hour. 

After Daniel Oluwadara Olusola was fouled near the right corner flag, Mernagh floated in a free. Inside a crowded six-yard box, Higgins rose highest to head in. 

Then five minutes before the interval, Oluwadara Olusola shot wide after Cunningham and Mernagh linked-up. 

Having failed to make the most of their chances, the Wicklow team were caught out by UCD’s 51st minute equaliser. 

From a free near the right of the hallway line, the ball was flicked on. Unmarked sub Ryan Hanley ghosted in to score with a close range flick. 

The Seasiders had a chance to add a third in stoppage time. But sub Kyle Jackson saw his 14-yard drive pushed out by reserve keeper Jack Tobin. 

 

Bray Wanderers: Elliot Homan; Jamie Lynch, Adeyemi Raphael Odogiyan, Ryan Higgins, Rhys Behan; Lewis Brady; Zac Lawlor, Alex Mernagh, Conor Cunningham; Daniel Oluwadara Olusola, Olivier Gnutek 

 

Subs: Cillian Walsh, Daniel Howard, Senan Dutton, Kyle Jackson, Kristofer Marku, Nathan Roberts Byrne, Shane O'Dowd. 

 

UCD: Conor Wheeler; Dylan Corbett, Finn Gallanagh, Samuel Wall, Tom Murphy; Josh Finnegan; Jack Corrigan; Luca McLaughlin; Brandon Griffiths, James Loughnane, Mahmoud Hamad. 

 

Subs: Blazej Kucharski, Matthew Gormley, Sam John, Sean Kelly, Edgar Ogbe-Abulu, Ryan Hanley, Jack Tobin. 

 

Referee: Darren O’Brien (Wicklow ISRS). 

 

* Elsewhere in the section, Klub Kildare defeated Wexford FC 1-0 at FBD Hotels and Resorts Park. Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians played out a score-less draw at Roadstone. 

 

* Bray are scheduled to be at home on Saturday March 8 – against Klub Kildare (venue to be confirmed).