Report from Kieran Crowley at the Carlisle Grounds St. Patrick's Athletic are the inaugural SSE Airtricity U13 League Champions after a penalty shoot-out victory against Bray Wanderers. In front of 528 supporters at the Carlisle Grounds, the two s
Report from Kieran Crowley at the Carlisle Grounds
St. Patrick's Athletic are the inaugural SSE Airtricity U13 League Champions after a penalty shoot-out victory against Bray Wanderers.
In front of 528 supporters at the Carlisle Grounds, the two sides played out a pulsating final where they couldn't be separated after 100 minutes of football. Goalkeeper Rian Hogan was the hero for Pats as he saved Luke Nolan's penalty in a 7-6 penalty shoot-out win.
Both sides created a number of chances throughout the 80 minutes and after a quiet opening 20 minutes, Pats created the first chance of the game. Matthew O'Hara did well to beat his defender on the left and his low cross found striker Brian Moore who placed his effort narrowly over the bar.
Six minutes later, Pats had another chance to take the lead. The dangerous Moore picked up the ball on the half-way line to turn and find Taylor Mooney's run but after he turned inside, keeper Derry Moloney saved his shot at his feet.
The home side responded brilliantly and ended the first 40 minutes on the front foot. On the half-hour, a Hugh Parker corner saw a scramble at the near post before the ball fell for Lorcan Moore but his close-range effort was well blocked.
In a second-half of few chances, Pats would have taken the lead if it wasn't for the brilliance of Player of the Match Moloney. In the first of two huge chances, Moore found space in the area to turn inside and see his curling effort tipped over the bar by the Bray keeper.
From the resulting corner, Moloney was at it again as striker Moore turned on the left side of the area six yards out but somehow, his fierce effort was palmed away by Moloney's out-stretched hand.
As the match went into extra-time, Bray Wanderers' Roy Lawlor almost put the home side ahead in the 86th minute but his curling effort was denied by keeper Hogan. In the second-half of extra-time, Pats almost scored the winning goal two minutes from time when Sean Mackey crossed for Roland Uzuma but he put the ball over the bar from a tight angle.
In a penalty shoot-out of high-quality with 13 successful penalties, Hogan provided the winning moment as he dived to his left to palm away Nolan's penalty and seal the inaugural SSE Airtricity U13 League title for St. Patrick's Athletic.
Bray Wanderers: Derry Moloney (GK), Ronan Langan (C), Luke Nolan, Alex Baines, Daniel Isichei, Shea Brown, Hugh Parker, Roy Lawlor, Lorcan Moore, Daniel Jordan, Freddie Turley.
Subs: Ryan Donnelly (GK), Josh Bishop, Shane Gough, Ryan Lynch, Ciaran Scott, Callum Davis, Kian de Sousa Crowe.
St. Patrick's Athletic: Rian Hogan (GK), Cameron Hamilton, Matthew O'Hara, Luke Kehir, Rhys Bartley (C), Sean Mackey, Caighlum Barry-Mulvey, Brian Moore, Christian O'Reilly, Taylor Mooney, Sean Hayden.
Subs: Luke Kane (GK), Dane Mahon, Eamonn Armstrong, Roland Uzoma, Tyreik Sammy.
Referee: Cillian O'Reilly
Attendance: 528
Player of the Match: Derry Moloney (Bray Wanderers)
