Bray Wanderers 1-0 Shelbourne

Bray Wanderers 1-0 Shelbourne

Pat Devlin will be happy with 3 points to kick start the season but he may feel that Bray could have added to their one goal win. While his counterpart Alan Matthews is facing a very difficult season at the helm at Shelbourne after he witnessed more indiscipline from his side.

Prior to the first half’s main talking point, both sides were limited in their chances. Gary Dempsey forcing shels keeper Ger Hanley into a fingertip save and Darren Quigley in the Bray goal being called into action by Robert Bayly.

On the 28th minute the complexion of the game changed as former Drogheda United captain Paul Crowley was shown a straight red card by referee Padraigh Sutton for a two footed studs up lunge on Bray’s Daire Doyle. Thankfully following some treatment Doyle was able to continue. Bray began to take advantage of their numerical advantage with Marty Waters tormenting the Shelbourne defence. Shelbourne were dealt a 2nd blow in as many minutes as captain Glen Cronin suffered a reoccurrence of an ankle injury which kept him out of shells preseason games.

Shelbourne came out after the break looking very solid in defence, but this good work was nearly undone after Alex Prizeman gifted the ball to Jason Byrne whose attempted lob was blocked by Hanley. This was to be a sign of things to come as Bray began to take control. Bray thought they had taken the lead on the 67th minute through Jason Byrne but their celebrations were short lived with the raising of the offside flag. Moments later Byrne would open his account for the season and give the seagulls the lead after he got onto the end of a Marty Waters cross from the left hand side. Byrne once again coming back to haunt his former employers.

Shelbourne rallied after conceding the goal but to no avail. Darren Quigley was forced to save a Philly Hughes header off the line. Bray defender Kevin Knight then blocked a goal bound effort from Hughes on the 80th minute. With Shels committing bodies forward Bray’s Shane O’Neill hit the shels defence on the counter attack. Having passed two defenders and one on one with the keeper O’Neill looked to have been bundled to the ground by the tracking back defender but referee Padraigh Sutton booked O’Neill for diving. Bray could have made the result all the more secure when Akinade closed down Hanley but lost his footing allowing Hanley to recover a smother the ball before the Bray striker could take the shot on an open goal.

Bray Wanderers: 1 Quigley; 14 Hyland, 4 D O'Connor (12 Earley ’85), 2 Webster, 3 Knight; 8 Doyle (9 Akinade ’62), 6 Dempsey, 7 K O'Connor, 16 Zambra, 11 Waters; 10 Byrne (O'Neill ‘74).

Subs: 18 Mulroy, 21 Malone, 22 Thomas, 25 Holmes.

Booked: O’Neill.

Shelbourne: 12 Hanley, 18 Cornwall (2 Shortall ’74), 5 Gartland, 23 Ryan, 3 Memery; 11 Hanlon, 6 Cronin (16 Hurley ’43), 8 Crowley, 14 Bayly, 19 Prizeman (15 Leech ’74); 9 Hughes.

Subs: 1 Burdon, 7 Brennan, 10 Kelly, 21 Mooney.

Booked: Cronin, Hurley, Bayly.

Sent-off: Crowley.

Attendance: 1,600 EST