REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 19: KERRY FC 2-1 BRAY WANDERERS
Kerry FC were back at home this Friday ahead of a double game-week, which saw them first play host to third-placed Bray Wanderers in Tralee. Kerry FC came into the game off the back of a last-minute equaliser by the hands of Athlone Town last Friday night in the midlands. Still, it is not all bad for Kerry FC as they have only lost one of their previous six games, which came against league leaders Dundalk FC a month ago.
For Bray Wanderers, they lost last weekend away to Treaty United but remain firmly in third place, just eight points off the summit of the First Division league table and seven clear of fourth place. Bray’s last win on the road came on the fourth of April, which would be a big factor in the minds of both sets of players heading into the game.
Kerry FC were still without Carl Mujaguzi and Joe Adams as they work back to full fitness from injury, and it would be a first league start of the season for Kennedy Amechi, who impressed with a goal off the bench last Friday night in Athlone.
It was a fantastic evening for League of Ireland football in the Kingdom and brought with it a huge atmosphere to Mounthawk Park on a special evening for the club which would be the one hundredth competitive game in Senior football for the Men’s team, all it needed to cap off a special night was a victory.
First Half
Kerry FC had the dream start on the evening when Kennedy Amechi scored the fastest goal in the club’s history inside just eleven seconds. From the kick-off, Sean McGrath played the ball back to Tim-Oliver Hiemer, who went route one and looked like it would be dealt with by the Bray defence. Amechi made himself and nuisance, and James Corcoran made a hash of his clearance, which gave Kennedy the perfect opportunity to slot the ball home into an empty net.
Eleven minutes in and Kerry FC were the most controlled of the two sides. A lovely move in the attack opened up space for Oran Crowe to take on a shot, but it whistled wide of the near post of Corcoran. A let-off for the seagulls who started the game far from where they would have liked to have been.
The first half had very little to write home about and got quite fiery in the middle of the pitch instead of both eighteen yard boxes with four yellow cards being dished out in the space of twenty minutes by referee Oliver Moran.
Kerry FC went in at half time ahead and conveyed a very impressive opening forty-five minutes’ performance, which would hopefully continue into the second half.
Second Half
Five minutes into the second half, Bray Wanderers were awarded a penalty when goal scorer Kennedy Amechi took down Jamie Ryan. Oliver Moran showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot which Max Murphy dispatched with some vigour.
Bray started to push up the intensity and had a fine chance to turn the game on its head when Cian Curtis found Billy O’Neill in the box, but his header was kept out superbly by Tim-Oliver Hiemer.
Just seven minutes later, on the hour mark, Hiemer was on hand once again to keep out O’Neill one more time. The shot was at a tough angle, but he managed to get it off, and Tim did brilliantly to see off the danger.
With thirteen minutes to go, Daniel Okwute had a great opportunity to regain the lead for the hosts, but his curling effort outside the area didn’t have enough dip and it went over the crossbar.
In desperation to get a winner in the eighty-fourth minute, centre back Abel Alabi was brought on up front to replace Daniel Okwute, with the idea of the big man making himself a nuisance, and he did so to huge effect. He created a chance which went out for a corner and pounced on a mistake from Corcoran, which allowed Alabi to head the ball into an empty net, regaining Kerry’s lead with just three minutes remaining of normal time.
Kerry FC would see out the four minutes added in injury time and pick up a huge win and a first-ever win against Bray. A superb performance from the Kingdom, who now have a quick turnaround as they head to St. Colman’s Park on Monday evening to face Cobh Ramblers.
KERRY FC TEAM: 1. Tim-Oliver Hiemer, 3. Sean O’Connell, 5. Chris McQueen, 4. Oran Crowe, 7. Sean McGrath (C), 8. Ronan Teahan, 11. Daniel Okwute, 12. Kennedy Amechi (GOAL ‘1), 15. Kevin Williams, 18. Samuel Aladesanusi, 28. Niall Brookwell.
SUBS: Mathyas Randriamamy, Luke Palmer, Nathan Gleeson, Cian Brosnan, Abel Alabi (GOAL ‘87), Alex Dunne, Finn Barrett.
BRAY WANDERERS TEAM: 1. James Corcoran, 2. Max Murphy (PEN GOAL ‘51), 4. Killian Cantwell (C), 7. Conor Knight, 10. Guillermo Almirall, 12. Jamie Duggan, 14. Cian Curtis, 16. Paul Murphy, 17. Cian Doyle, 19. Billy O’Neill, 23. Jamie Ryan.
SUBS: Stephen McGuinness (GK), Thomas Considine, Jordan Tallon, Rhys Knight, Calum Costello, Danu Kinsella Bishop, Richard Ferizai, Kyle Degelman
