Wexford FC v Bray (EA Sports)

Wexford will regard themselves as unlucky not to get over the finishing line in this lively EA Sports cup tie in Ferrycarrig tonight, as they were a goal to the good with two minutes of injury time played. Wexford made seven changes from the team which started last Friday and went with Colum Feeney, Karl Fitzsimons, James Carroll, Paul Cleary, Kristian Crawford, Lee Costello, Janabi Amour Jr, Kaleem Simon, Conor Crowley, Patrick O’Sullivan and with Sean Roche up front. Real encouragement from the start as it was a Wexford side which, in footballing terms, were very easy on the eye. It was Bray who probably shaded the first half as they applied more pressure on the Wexford goal, but couldn’t find a way past Colum Feeney who had an excellent performance between the sticks for Wexford. Nearest Bray came to scoring in the first half was when a lofted shot over Feeney hit the Wexford crossbar and rebounded back into play. Another good Feeney save kept the score at 0-0 at the break with Bray also having picked up a yellow for a pull-back on the very creative Kaleem Simon for Wexford. 0-0 at half-time.

Second half started with Wexford’s Sean Roche picking up a yellow and, on eight minutes, Wexford went ahead when Kaleem Simon and Sean Roche combined well down the right wing where Roche’s low cross was knocked home at the far post by Amour Jr to put Wexford ahead by 1-0. Karl Manahan, who had come on as a Wexford sub, also finished off a good Wexford move about midway through the half, but it was ruled out for offside. Cian Kavanagh also came on for Wexford as a sub and then, in the third minute of injury-time, Bray equalised when the Wexford defence inexplicably found itself in a two-on-two, when Paul Keegan, who transformed Bray when he came on as a sub, set up a Bray forward to knock it past Feeney and it was 1-1 at full-time. Feeney then touched a good Bray header over his own bar while Cian Kavanagh had a free narrowly wide for Wexford. With a few minutes to go, an error at the back for what was otherwise a very resolute Wexford defence, with James Carroll outstanding, allowed a Bray forward to round Feeney and it was 2-1 to Bray. Wexford were sure they spotted a Bray handball right at the end as they pressed for the equaliser but nothing was given. 2-1 to Bray after the end of extra-time but a really encouraging performance by the home side. Maybe, 120 at the game.