Video

Details

Date Time League Season
4 August 2023 7:45 pm LOI Men's First Division 2023

Match Report

Stunning game at the Carlisle ends in a draw

A topsy-turvy game unfolded at the Carlisle Grounds as 9-man Bray came back from a goal down but conceded late on to draw with Athlone 2-2.

Controversy reigned supreme as a contentious penalty and red card decision dominated the first half. However, goals from Darren Craven and Chris Lyons gave the Seagulls a surprise lead but came undone in the dying embers of the game through a 92th minute equaliser from the away side.

The home side started the game the better but a brilliant bit of team build-up play by Athlone produced the opening goal, not without controversy. The passing sequence from the back culminated in Valerii Dolia getting a shot off which Matthew Connor could only parry. Omorehiomwan and Pierrot contested the rebounded ball, and it looked as though the Athlone striker fouled the Bray centre half, but referee Alan Patchell thought otherwise and pointed to the spot. Up stepped Pierrot and he cooly converted, sending Connor the wrong way. 

The game continued on in a similar fashion for Bray, holding most of the possession but things went from bad to worse in the 36th minute. Dave Webster misplaced a pass which Aaron Connolly intercepted. The ball broke loose and both players contested on the ground, and although Webster’s challenge was high, he came out with the ball. The referee deemed this to be dangerous play and gave Bray’s number five his marching orders and the Seagulls a huge task for the second half.

Entertainment was the name of the game second half as one event unfolded after another. With twenty minutes gone, Bray looked out of ideas but won a free kick out wide. Darren Craven whipped it in, it evaded everyone including Minogue who came and flapped, and nestled into the bottom corner to bring the “Wanderers” level. 

The tides had now turned and just over ten minutes later, Bray took a remarkable lead. Craven was at the heart of it again, winning a penalty by being fouled by Patrick Hickey. Up stepped Chris Lyons, who may actually have a claim at the first goal coming off him in retrospect, and he placed the ball into the corner to give the home side a shock goal advantage. 

No sooner had Bray took the lead than they shot themselves in the foot, however. Cole Omorehiomwan, who can feel hard done by with the penalty decision, could have no complaints as he picked up his second yellow card for an off the ball incident with Pierrot, leaving his team down to 9 men for the remaining 15 minutes.

Bray defended mightily as Athlone threw everything at them but the “Town” finally broke down the doors in the 92nd minute. A corner was swung into the near post and there to meet it was substitute Nehemie Lamtoukou, his bullet header unstoppable to give Athlone a point and to save them from a major embarrassment.

Bray Wanderers

45Matthew Connor Goalkeeper
5Dave Webster Defender 36'
7Conor Crowley 33 Midfielder
9Chris Lyons 3 Forward
12Cole Omorehiomwan Defender 44'
76'
14Dane Massey Defender
15Ben Feeney 8 Forward
16Callum Thompson 29 Forward
17Darren Craven Midfielder 64'
18Max Murphy Midfielder
21Guillermo Almirall Midfielder
1Alex Moody Goalkeeper
3Len O’Sullivan 9 Defender
8Harry Groome 15 Midfielder
19Jake Walker Forward
20Conor Knight Midfielder
23Lorcan Fitzgerald Defender 38'
29Daniel Chukwu 16 Forward
32Yoyo Mahdy Forward
33Sean Quinn 7 Midfielder

Athlone Town

1Enda Minogue Goalkeeper
2German Fuentes Rodriguez Defender
4Noah van Geenen 29 Defender
5Daniel McKenna Midfielder 79'
6Patrick Hickey Defender
8Aaron Connolly Midfielder
7Daniel Orrego 25 Midfielder
9Frantz Pierrot Forward 12'
10Valerii Dolia 11 Forward
15Haji Abdikadir 20 Midfielder 28'
28Michael Peprah Defender
11Dylan Gavin 10 Midfielder
18Oisin Duffy Midfielder
20Jamar Campion-Hinds 15 Midfielder
22Nazar Zubkov Defender
24Josh McGlone Midfielder
25Matthew Leal 7 Defender
27Matthew Baker Defender
29Néhémie Lamtoukou 4 Forward 92'
30Vladislav Velikin Goalkeeper
  • 95'

    Full-time and its finished 2-2 here. Bray will somehow feel disappointed with that despite being down to nine men, Athlone will breathe a huge sigh of relief. Thank you for joining me this evening.

  • 92'

    Athlone are level at the death. Peprah whips it in and sub Lamtoukou rises highest to head home. 2-2.

  • 90'

    Five minutes added on here.

  • 87'

    Chukwu replaces Thompson for Bray.

  • 86'

    Another Athlone change as Van Geenan goes off for Lamtoukou.

  • 80'

    Double Bray change as Groome and O'Sullivan replace Lyons and Feeney.

  • 79'

    McKenna into the book for Athlone.

  • 76'

    No sooner have Bray got that goal, they now go down to nine. Omorehiomwan is shown his second yellow for a push on Pierrot and Bray will have the longest 15 minutes of their season now...

  • 74'

    Bray have the lead! It comes from the spot too as Craven is felled by Hickey. Up steps Lyons, who has "claimed" the first goal a la Harry Kane, and he places the ball into the right hand side. 10-man Bray now 2-1 up!

  • 70'

    Athlone have been the better side since that goal and McKenna just drags a shot wide from outside the box there.

  • 65'

    Bray equalise! A free kick from out wide by Craven finds it way straight into the net as Minogue comes out and misses it. Out of nothing the home side are level!

  • 63'

    Third Athlone change as Gavin comes on in place of Dolia.

  • 55'

    First Bray change as Crowley is replaced by Quinn.

  • 50'

    Massive chance for Bray to equalise as a flick on from Feeney finds Lyons and his volleyed effort is superbly stopped by Minogue as he makes himself big to deny the Seagulls striker.

  • 45'

    Back underway for the second half and Athlone make two changes as Leal and Campion-Hinds replace Orrego and Abdikadir.

  • 47'

    Half time and it is Athlone with the lead here and with Bray down to ten, it could be a mountain to climb.

  • 45'

    Two minutes added on.

  • 44'

    Bray losing all composure here as Omorehiomwan enters the book for a drag back.

  • 36'

    Bray making their own mistakes and are now down to 10 men as Webster gets a straight red for a tackle on Connolly after giving the ball away.

  • 33'

    Athlone make a mess of playing out of the back and Bray almost grab an equaliser as Lyons' sliding effort just drifts wide of the post.

  • 30'

    Big moment of the game as Athlone come close to doubling their lead. Pierrot gets in behind and crosses to Connolly, who hits a sweet half volley at goal. Connor is equal to it and manages to parry it out for a corner.

  • 28'

    Thompson gets brought down just outside the box and this produces our first booking with Abdikadir on the receiving end.

  • 28'

    Not much to note since the goal, game has continued in much the same vein as it was previous.

  • 12'

    … who sends Connor the wrong way and puts Athlone a goal ahead.

  • 10'

    A penalty for Athlone now out of nowhere! Some brilliant football from the away side sees Dolia get a shot off which Connor parries out. A coming together between Pierrot and Omorehiomwan sees Patchell award in favour of the away side. Up steps Pierrot...

  • 8'

    Another free kick a few moments later, this time taken by Massey, just flashes over the bar.

  • 6'

    First 6 minutes and it has been mainly Bray with possession, a free kick from just outside the box from Craven now deflected for a corner.

  • Underway here at the Carlisle.

  • Both teams out here, kick off approaching.

  • Good evening and welcome to tonight's fixture at the Carlisle Grounds between Bray Wanderers and Athlone Town. Two changes for Bray see Massey and Thompson replace Quinn and O'Sullivan. Four changes for Athlone with Dolia and new signing Orrego in amongst them.

Past Meetings

(Round 18)
3 - 1
LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town AFC 3-1 Bray Wanderers FC

(Round 8)
1 - 0
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers FC 1-0 Athlone Town AFC

(Round 30)
2 - 0
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers 2-0 Athlone Town

(Round 24)
1 - 2
LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town v Bray Wanderers

(Round 18)
3 - 0
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers v Athlone Town

(Round 8)
1 - 1
LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town v Bray Wanderers

(Series 22)
0 - 1
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers v Athlone Town

(Series 13)
0 - 0
LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town v Bray Wanderers

(Series 4)
1 - 2
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers v Athlone Town

(Series 18)
0 - 1
LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town v Bray Wanderers

(Series 9)
3 - 1
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers v Athlone Town

1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town AFC v Bray Wanderers FC

1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers FC v Athlone Town AFC

7:45 pm
LOI Men's Premier Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town AFC v Bray Wanderers FC

Ground

Carlisle Grounds
Carlisle Grounds, Seapoint Road, Bray No 2, The Municipal District of Bray, County Wicklow, Leinster, A98 T9D9, Ireland

This second year journalism student in Dublin City University has an avid Soccer and League of Ireland fan since his first visit to the Carlisle Grounds over a decade ago.