U17 Mark Farren Cup Match Report - Bray Wanderers 2 Dundalk 0
Posted on 28th July 2024 at 20:32
Bray Wanderers 2 Dundalk 0
Two goals – late in each period – sent Bray into the Quarter Finals of the U17 EA SPORTS LOI Mark Farren Cup.
After a tight opening half at a sunny Ballycorus on Sunday afternoon, Wanderers overcame Dundalk in the last 16 tie - despite Lilywhite’s having the better of the opening exchanges.
But having won the two previous meetings last April (2-0 at Oriel Park) and May (2-1 at the Woodlands in Greystones), it proved third time lucky for the Seagulls.
Alain Kizenga broke the dead-lock just before the interval. Then after the visitors were reduced to ten players late on, substitute Billy O’Neill sealed the victory in the last minute of normal time.
However, the home team were thankful to custodian Alex Forde for keeping them in the game in the early stages.
He denied Nico Lovrekovic with a fine foot block on 23. Ten minutes later, the goalkeeper then parried out Lovrekovic’s header.
The home team then took a 41st minute through a fine team goal.
Sean Hennelly linked with Isaac Millington on the right near the halfway line. Hennelly then threaded a pass over the top for Ronan Dawson to run onto. He squared inside to the breaking Alain Kizenga who side-footed in low from 15-yards via the far upright.
After Forde made a fine double reaction save to keep out Aaron Donnelly’s two efforts three minutes after the turnaround, Bray had the better of the second half.
Hennelly and Millington won possession off the right endline, andf found who Kizenga saw his low shot go narrowly wide in the 51sth minute.
It took a superb double point blank save by Dundalk netminder Aaron O'Donoghue to prevent Hennelly adding to the Green and White’s tally in the 70th minute.
Then in the 77th minute, Dawson’s cross-shot wide right clipped the crossbar.
The away team were then reduced to ten players when defender Jay Madigan picked up a second yellow card in the 85th minute.
Having netted three times in the previous two meetings with the Louth outfit in 2024, Irish U16 international O’Neill came off the bench to seal the success.
A ball down the left channel was chased down by sub Bradley Byrne. He slipped a pass inside to O’Neill who opened up inside the box to curl to the far top right hand corner of the net.
Bray Wanderers: Alex Forde; Conor Lougheed, Max Free, Luke Smith Ryan Owens; Eric Schütte, Ronan Dawson; Sean Hennelly, Alain Kizenga, Cristiano Bramley; Isaac Millington.
Subs: Bailey Shelley, Jack Nolan, Billy O'Neill, Flynn Ryan, Aidan Kane, Bradley Byrne, Kian Dowling, Rocco Byrne.
Dundalk: Aaron O'Donoghue; Alex Gaughran, Jay Madigan, Roan Hickey, Karl Stenson-Browne; Stephen Brady; Fahd Nii-Adjei Monney, Shay Casey, Cian Spaight, Nico Lovrekovic; Aaron Donnelly.
Subs: Trevor Joseph Molloy Murray, Shayne O'Byrne, Pauric Maguire, Shay Hoey, Oisin Smyth, Jordan Vocella.
Referee: Ryan Flood. Assistants: Ruben Collins, John Hanney.
Pictures: Ethan Finnerty.
* Elsewhere, Wexford FC, Shelbourne, Waterford FC, Bohemians, Treaty United, Kerry FC, and Shamrock Rovers all advanced to the last eight of the competition.
















Tagged as: Men's Under 17s
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