REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 25: Bray Wanderers 0-4 Kerry FC
Kerry FC started off the Bank Holiday Weekend with a trip to Wicklow to take on Bray Wanderers in the Carlisle Grounds on Friday evening.
It is a huge weekend which could really give us a clearer understanding of who will make the playoffs by the end of the season. Just two points are separating Kerry FC and Wexford FC in fourth, while the three teams ahead of The Kingdom, including Wexford FC, sit on thirty-one points. Kerry FC also take on Cobh Ramblers on Monday to finish up the weekend, who are also included in that three teams ahead of Kerry FC by just two points.
Bray Wanderers sit in second position in the league table and have won four games on the bounce for the first time this season, meaning it would be a tough task for Kerry FC in Wicklow. The last time the two sides met was in Mounthawk Park in late May, where two late Matthew Britton strikes made sure the points were shared in Tralee.
Kerry FC have never taken a point home from the Carlisle Grounds, so they hoped for yet another first in the club’s short but unbelievable four-year history.
FIRST HALF
The visitors settled quickly after kick-off in Wicklow, although the opening exchanges were evenly contested, with neither side able to create a clear-cut opportunity during the first ten minutes.
Kerry fashioned the first real opening in the twelfth minute when Sean O’Connell delivered an excellent ball into the penalty area towards Cian Bargary. The forward looked set to connect cleanly, but the ball bounced awkwardly just before reaching him, and his effort drifted over the crossbar.
Bray’s evening took a significant turn in the seventeenth minute when Alain Kizenga was shown the first yellow card of the contest following a late challenge.
The home side responded in the twentieth minute when Tyreik Sammy cut in from a tight angle and tested Matthew Connor, but the Kerry goalkeeper reacted well to get down and gather comfortably.
Just five minutes later, Bray were reduced to ten men as Kizenga received his second yellow card of the game, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb for the remainder of the contest.
Kerry immediately looked to capitalise on their numerical advantage. In the twenty-seventh minute, Sean O’Connell delivered a dangerous free-kick into the box which found Niall Brookwell, but his header drifted wide of the target.
Jonas Häkkinen entered the referee’s notebook in the twenty-ninth minute before Daniel Okwute was also cautioned a minute later.
Despite being down to ten men, Bray continued to threaten. In the thirty-first minute, Declan Osagie connected sweetly with a volley inside the area, only for Connor to make another important save.
Kerry responded two minutes later when Daniel Okwute forced Rian Hogan into action with a strike on target, while Sean McGrath came agonisingly close in the thirty-eighth minute, firing over from inside the penalty area.
The home side almost broke the deadlock a minute later when Ifunanyachi Achara struck the crossbar, but Kerry survived the scare and immediately turned defence into attack.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the forty-second minute, and it was a goal worthy of opening any game. Daniel Okwute spotted Vince Borden in space thirty yards from goal and picked him out with an excellent pass. Borden aimed and unleashed a spectacular strike which flew into the top-right corner, leaving Hogan with absolutely no chance and sending the travelling support into celebration.
It was a deserved lead for the Kingdom, who carried their advantage into the half-time interval after an entertaining opening 45 minutes.
SECOND HALF
Bray attempted to respond after the restart, but the opening stages of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Kerry enjoying plenty of possession and creating opportunities without adding to their tally.
The visitors doubled their lead in the fifty-seventh minute through captain Sean McGrath. A brilliant solo run from Daniel Okwute saw the winger drive directly at the Bray defence before he was eventually tackled. However, the loose ball broke kindly for McGrath, who showed tremendous composure to guide his finish into the top-right corner and make it 2–0.
Moments later, Okwute’s impressive evening came to an end as Robert Keane entered the action in his place.
Kerry continued to push forward in search of a third goal and almost found it in the sixty-sixth minute. Following a scramble in the Bray penalty area, the ball fell invitingly to Sean McGrath, who attempted an audacious lob over Hogan, only to see his effort cleared off the line.
Ryan Perez replaced the goalscoring captain in the seventy-second minute as Kerry maintained complete control of proceedings.
Bray threatened briefly in the seventy-fourth minute when Achara got the slightest touch to a dangerous delivery at the near post, but the effort rolled narrowly wide.
Any hopes of a home comeback were ended three minutes later as Kerry struck for a third time. A deep corner into the area was not properly dealt with by the Bray defence and the loose ball dropped to Jonas Häkkinen inside the six-yard box. The centre half reacted quickest, thumping a powerful half-volley into the net to put Kerry firmly in command.
There was no let-up from the visitors and, in the seventy-ninth minute, Cian Murphy stunningly added a fourth. Picking up possession down the line, Murphy drove directly at the Bray defence, skipped past his marker and fired an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
Matthew Connor ensured Kerry would keep a clean sheet in the eighty-second minute with an excellent save from close range before Colin Healy introduced fresh legs late on, with Cian Brosnan and debutant Simon Lüchinger joining the action alongside Colin Healy, replacing Borden, Murphy and Häkkinen.
After three additional minutes, the final whistle confirmed an outstanding away performance from Kerry FC. Four goals, a clean sheet and a dominant display ensured Colin Healy’s side returned home with all three points after a memorable night at the Carlisle Grounds.
Bray Wanderers Team: Rian Hogan; Alain Kizenga (RED CARD ‘26), Jamie Duggan, John Sesay, Richard Ferizaj, Ifunanyachi Achara, Declan Osagie, Endri Mustali, Ben McCormack, Tyreik Sammy, Dean O’Shea (C).
Subs Used: Jamie Ryan, Ajibola Oluwabiyi, Kyle Tucker, Conor Knight.
Kerry FC Team: Matthew Connor; Sean O’Connell, Sean McGrath (C) (GOAL ‘57), Cian Murphy (GOAL ‘79), Daniel Okwute, Jonas Häkkinen (GOAL ‘77), Samuel Aladesanusi, Vince Borden (GOAL ‘42), Niall Brookwell, Ewan Lee, Cian Bargary.
Subs Used: Robert Keane, Ryan Perez, Cian Brosnan, Colin Healy, Simon Lüchinger.