Bridge Rovers get off to a flyer

BRIDGE ROVERS WEXFORD CELTIC

BRIDGE ROVERS made it two wins out of two in the Wexford Football League Youths Division 1 as they saw off Wexford Celtic in a free-flowing contest at the Bogside on Saturday.

The Castlebridge boys got off to the perfect start, with Darragh Malone giving them an early lead, and when Dylan Fox doubled their advantage midway through the second-half they were firmly in control.

Adam Mullins did manage to pull a goal back for the visitors with ten minutes remaining, but substitute Ethan Kelly sealed the deal moments later.

Bridge Rovers were quickly out of the blocks and got their noses in front with just three minutes on the clock.

Thomas O’Connor played a perfectly-weighted ball into the path of Darragh Malone, who confidently slid it to the net.

Wexford Celtic were passing around the ball well, but were finding it difficult to penetrate a well-drilled Rovers defence, and it was the home side who again threatened midway through the half when Evan Carr saw his header strike the woodwork.

Carr forced goalkeeper Brannach Kinsella into a fine save in the 35th minute when he met Seán Murphy’s free-kick with a glancing header, but the netminder got down well to push the ball away to safety.

Wexford Celtic threatened six minutes before the interval when Lorcan Brennan put Cian Mac Aogáin through, but goalkeeper Geoff Maher was quickly off his line to make the block.

The Wexford town outfit began the second-half brightly, with Brennan looking lively, and seconds in he did well to make space for himself on the edge of the area but fired his shot off target.

A minute later Brennan teed up Richie Browne, but his effort from a tight angle fizzed wide.

Adam Mullins hit the target with a 30-yard free-kick in the 51st minute, but the shot was well held by goalkeeper Maher.

The visitors continued to probe and when Brennan whipped in a teasing cross, Cian Mac Aogáin was inches away from getting a telling touch.

However, the wind was taken out of their sails with 65 minutes on the clock when Dylan Fox pumped a delivery from way out the field into the danger zone, but the bounce deceived goalkeeper Kinsella and it went all the way to the net.

Celtic almost got back in the game in bizarre circumstances with 15 minutes remaining when

Darragh Malone of Bridge Rovers gets his head to the ball as Ciarán Fox of Wexford Celtic closes in. RIGHT: Lee Donohue of Wexford Celtic is chased by Wictor Yanzcy.

an attempted clearance ricocheted off Lee Donohue and flew narrowly over the bar, but they did get the goal they craved five minutes later when Adam Mullins looped a header to the net.

However, it was game, set and match with six minutes remaining when Ethan Kelly ran on to a pass from Thomas O’Connor and arrowed a shot to the corner of the net.