Bray duo on target for eL team

Bray’s two strikers were on the scoresheet in Scotland last night as Ireland got their Four Nations Semi-professional tournament off to a winning start at Princess Royal Park, Banff.

With five teenagers in the starting eleven, the touring party achieved a deserved 3-2 win over holders and tournament favourites England.

Ireland went behind after five minutes when Gary Thompson latched on to a quickly-taken free-kick on the right and crossed to England captain Steve Guinan who slotted home from six yards.

England right-full back Peter Cavanagh was replaced by James Sedgemore after 13 minutes and six minutes later Ireland equalised through John Flood.

The England defence failed to clear a Gerard Rowe cross after a good lay-off from Eamon Zayed. The ball came back to Zayed who did well to beat full-back David Perkins to cross to Flood in the six-yard box.

England 'keeper Matt Baker could only parry his initial header and the diving Flood headed the rebound past Baker at the second attempt.

Ireland were the livelier side after the break with John Lester shooting over the bar in the opening minute of the half and John Russell saw his chip from the edge of the box just clear the crossbar.

Ireland went close to taking the lead on 53 minutes. A Rowe corner from the left was cleared only as far as Hugh Davey who found Flood on the right of the England penalty area.

Flood held the ball up and crossed for captain Darryl Murphy whose side-foot shot came back off the post with the 'keeper stranded. Lester shot over soon after.

Ireland's luck was to change with two goals in as many minutes just on the hour mark. Alan McDermott's long ball wasn't dealt with by England's man-mountain centre back Matt Redmile, Murphy jumped higher to the rebound and headed on to Zayed who fired home at the near post from six yards.

Within a minute, Ireland were two up. Birthday boy Russell found himself in space on the right from Flood's deep cross from the left and celebrated his 19th birthday by rifling home what amounted to a carbon copy of Zayed's strike.

However, Ireland's two-goal advantage was only to last seven minutes. Guinan, who was their greatest threat on the night, scored his second with a great shot on the turn on the edge of the penalty area on 69 minutes.

Robbie Doyle came on for Flood on 75 and soon after Ireland could have restored their two-goal advantage two minutes later when Zayed's looping header from Doyle's cross came back off the upright.

Another Doyle cross from the right on 85 found Rowe free in acres of space on the left of the penalty area but his acrobatic diving header sailed over.

Rowe was replaced by Colm James on 89 and Ireland held on through four minutes of injury time to take all three points.

Information from fai.ie

Republic of Ireland: 1 Chris O'Connor; 2 Ger O'Brien (Kildare County, 3 Hugh Davey (UCD), 4 Alan McDermott (Shelbourne), 5 Mark McCrystal (Derry City), 6 John Lester (Drogheda United), 7 Gerard Rowe (Shelbourne), 8 John Russell (Galway United), 9 Darryl Murphy (Captain) (Waterford United), 10 Eamon Zayed, 11 John Flood
Subs: Neil Gallagher (UCD), Darren Murphy (Cobh Ramblers), Killian Brennan (Dublin City), Colm James (Bray Wanderers), Paul O'Reilly (Bray Wanderers), Robbie Doyle (Bohemians), Willie Doyle (UCD)
Manager: Pat Devlin

England: 1 Matt Baker (Hereford United); 2 Peter Cavanagh (Accrington Stanley), 3 Andy Tretton (Hereford United), 4 Matt Redmile (Unattached), 5 David Perkins (Morecambe), 6 Gary Thompson (Morecambe), 7 Sam Ricketts (Telford United), 8 Scott Kerr (Scarborough), 9 Gareth Sheldon (Exeter City), 10 Steve Guinan (Cheltenham Town), 11 Liam Hatch (Barnet)
Subs: 12 Glen Southam (Dagenham & Redbridge), 13 Danny McDonnell (gk) (Worcester City), 14 Jon Boardman (Woking), 15 Jake Sedgemore (Shrewsbury Town), 16 Amos Forewa (Woking), 17 David McNiven (Leigh RMI)
Manager: Paul Fairclough