U17 Match Report - Bray Wanderers 3 Sligo Rovers 2

 

Bray made it three it U17 home EA SPORTS League of Ireland Tier 2 North wins in a row to keep their top four hopes alive. 

The Bit O’Red had won 3-2 in the reverse fixture back in August at the Showgrounds (Astro Turf). 

But the Green and White’s repeated the score-line in their favour this time round at the Carlisle Grounds on Sunday afternoon. 

The match also saw Ruan Owens make his competitive return to football having been injured since last February, by coming on as second half substitute. 

The Bray local went close to marking with a wonderful run and shot form distance by narrowly flew over the bar. 

The club’s Academy pathway continued; with no less than five U15 players featuring. 

Both Ryan Higgins and Conor Cunningham started while Alex Mernagh, Lewis Brady and Jamie Lynch coming off the bench. 

This time round, the Seagulls hit the front on the 20th minute. 

From the halfway line, Ryan Higgins played a ball over the top for skipper Max Free to run onto wide right. From near the endline, the defender’s cross-half volleyed shot rattled the far post and dropped to the net. 

Wanderers doubled their lead in the 57th minute. 

Free threaded a pass along the right channel for Romeo Fomenky to hold up. He slipped in substitute Alex Mernagh whose shot from 20-yards was parried by Rovers keeper Michal Suchocki. 

However, Aaron Murphy reacted to the rebound to score his first goal for the club. 

But the away side pulled one back just three minutes later. 

A bout of head tennis followed a corner. The ball dropped to Ryan Quinn who hooked a looping 16-yard volley to the net. 

But the hosts’ two-goal cushion was restored just seconds later. 

With defenders Bailey Shelley and (sub) Adeyemi Raphael Odogiyan involved when playing out from the back, Free beat an opponent on the right in his own half. 

He then found Mernagh on the halfway line. A dinked ball over the top was chased down by Fomenky who lobbed the onrushing Suchocki from the edge of the box to an open goal. 

Rovers kept battling and made it 3-2 in the 70th minute. 

Although Mernagh and Murphy appeared to be fouled in the build-up, Oisin Choo’s low 20-yard drive took a deflection on its way into the bottom left corner. 

 

Bray Wanderers: Alex Forde; Max Free, Bailey Shelley, Ryan Higgins, Luke Burke; Albie Tormey; Conor Cunningham, Karl Ralph, Aaron Murphy, Sean Howard; Romeo Fomenky. 

 

Subs: Adeyemi Raphael Odogiyan, Jamie Lynch, Lewis Brady, Alex Mernagh, Ryan Owens, Jamie Dalton. 

 

Sligo Rovers: Michal Suchocki; Donnacha Malone, Ethan O'Neill, Scott Williams, Oisín Ó Nualláin; Ryan Cunningham, Jack McGowan, Oisin Choo; Shane Filan, Ross Ruane-Dalton, Ryan Quinn. 

 

 

Referee: Wayne McDonnell. 

 

* Elsewhere in the section, leaders Drogheda United went down 3-2 away to Finn Harps at the Letterkenny Community Centre. Second placed Dundalk beat Mayo FC 7-0 at Umbro Milebush Park. 

 

* Bray are on the road on Sunday October 12 to face Mayo FC at Umbro Milebush Park