Unbeaten run over as Cobh U17s suffer heavy defeat to Bray
SOCCER
BRAY WANDERERS U17………………………………4
COBH RAMBLERS U17………………………………..0
Daire Walsh
THERE was disappointment for the Cobh Ramblers U17s in Carrickmines on Sunday afternoon, when they suffered a heavy defeat to Bray Wanderers in the SSE Airtricity League Southern Elite Division.
A six-game unbeaten run had propelled Ramblers into the play-off places ahead of this contest, but they endured a nightmare start to the proceedings.
Netminder Arthur Nganou couldn’t clear a dangerous opening minute corner, and defender Cian Maher was on hand to head Bray into an lead.
This was a major set-back for Ramblers, but with Beneoin O’Brien forcing a fine save from Wanderers custodian Dylan Davis, they were aiming to force their way back into contention.
The quick movement of O’Brien and Cameron Harlson was causing a number of problems for the home side, but the Leesiders were on the receiving end of another hammer blow in the 26th-minute.
When the ball broke to the feet of Bray midfielder Damiel Madaghjian, he found himself one-on-one with Nganou, and he coolly finished to the bottom left-hand corner of the net. Cobh were already left with a mountain climb, and even though Davis brilliantly tipped over a powerful Harlson drive, Jake Ellis increased Bray’s league with a clinical strike seven minutes before the break.
However, after the conditions improved, it was Bray who once again breached the Ramblers rearguard. Just before the hour mark, Eoin D’Arcy embarked on a lung-bursting run down the right-flank, and fired home to the far corner of the goal in clinical fashion.
It was damage limitation for Cobh in the closing stages, although substitutes Luke Quinn and Loic Nguefang did bring fresh energy to their play. Nganou produced an impressive save to deny Madaghjian a second goal at the beginning of the final-quarter, and Cobh will now look to bounce back when they face rivals Cork City in their next league game on Friday week.
BRAY WANDERERS U17: Dylan Davis; Cian Maher, Jake Byrne, Jamie Crilly; Aaron Byrne (Aaron Horgan 71), Evan Dunne (Sean O’Brien 61), Cian Walsh, Damiel Madaghjian, Darragh Kelly (Conor Dowling 60); Eoin D’Arcy (Byron O’Gorman 71), Jake Ellis (Glen Hollywood 78).
COBH RAMBLERS U17: Arthur Nganou; Adam Crowley, Kyle Murphy, Nathan O’Donnell; Dylan Walls (Loic Nguefang 61), Connor O’Leary, Jack Ford (Conor Walsh 90), Conor Drinan (Luke Quinn 61); Cameron Harlson, Beineon O’Brien, Jaze Kabia (Eoin O’Donovan 81).
Referee: Mark Moynihan.