Kerry U-17s stunned by three late Bray Wanderers goals

SSE AIRTRICITY UNDER-17 LEAGUE Kerry 2 Bray Wanderers 3

KERRY were within eight minutes of notching up their first win of the season at sun-drenched Mounthawk Park on Sunday when they led Bray Wanderers 2-0 but a disastrous finish in which they conceded three goals - the last in the 93rd minute - resulted in a heart wrenching defeat.

It was a depleted Kerry side that was on duty as a number of key players were out with injuries. However their replacements accounted for themselves very well and everything was going fine

for so long until their defensive frailities were exposed and they caved in at the concluding stages of the game.

Played in intense heat the game began at a slow pace and Kerry had to make a change after 10 minutes with David Rogers sustaining an injury and he was replaced by Dylan Murphy.

Bray had a good chance to go ahead in the 18th minute from a Evan Dunne corner kick but Cian Maher headed the ball wide. They were only a lick of paint away from going ahead in the 29th minute when Precious Omochere latched on to a Evan Dunne free kick but his header came back off the crossbar.

Then Kerry put a good attack

together and Jordan Barry’s effort from just inside the box was saved by the Bray keeper.

Kerry went ahead in the 37th minute with a superbly executed goal. Dylan Murphy done well to win the ball and he played in Owen Benson who let fly with a rasper of a shot from 12 yards to the top corner of the net.

They should have doubled their lead three minutes later when Murphy played in Nathan Gleeson with a great over the top ball and his effort was taken off the line by Alex Rafferty.

They had another good chance before the break but Jordan Barry was denied by a good save by the Bray keeper Enda Minogue.

Bray almost pulled one back

in the 69th minute when Steven Sweeney got to the end of a Evan Dunne corner kick but he headed his effort on goal wide.

Then Kerry keeper Alex O’Connor was called and he made a great save to deny Precious Omochere.

Kerry doubled their lead in the 76th minute with a fantastic goal. It came from a long ball out to Jordan Barry who left a couple of defenders in his wake and with the Bray keeper off his line he dinked the ball over him delightfully to John Carmody and he volleyed powerfully to the net from 5 yards.

Now Kerry appeared to be very safe and it was just a matter of trying to slow up the game and wind down the clock. However the jitters

came in the 82nd minute when Evan Dunne raced on to the ball just outside the box and he let fly with a rocket of a shot which flew into the roof of the net.

Kerry almost scored again in the 88th minute when Nathan Gleeson played in Jordan Barry and his shot was just a whisker away.

However straight afterwards Bray forced a corner kick which was delivered into the goalmouth by Evan Dunne and it was bundled over the line by Cian Maher.

As the game crept into the third minute of added time Bray forced another corner kick which again was taken by Evan Dunne and in a packed goalmouth Cian Maher managed to squeeze the ball over the line for a most dramatic winner

and complete his hat trick.

It was a very disappointing defeat for Kerry after all the effort they put in to come away with nothing at the end.

They face a stern test again away to Shamrock Rovers next Saturday with a 2pm kick off at Dublin venue Rockstone.

KERRY: Alex O’Connor, Dylan Quirke, James Rusk, Liam Collins, David Rogers (Dylan Rogers, 10 mins), Patrick Dowling, Nathan Gleeson, Junior Anhomah, Jordan Barry, Owen Benson, John Carmody.

BRAY WANDERERS: Enda Minogue, Cian Maher, Jamie Crilly, Alex Rafferty, Cian Walsh, Steven Sweeney, Daniel Madaghjian (Aaron Rice, 83 min), Panit O’Keefffe, Evan Dunne, Precious Omoshere. Ronald Idowu (Jake Ellis, 61 min).