Premier

City Calling Stadium
29 Aug 2015

Wanderers missed out on an opportunity to put clear water between them and the chasing pack.

A single goal game again, with Bray at the wrong end of the scoreline, having failed to take advantage of the home side's reduction to ten men with a quarter of an hour to go.

Neither side seemed particularly intent on scoring in the first period, with a Chris Lyons effort six minutes from the break the only highlight.

Bray skipper David Cassidy and danger man Dave Scully both had half-chances early after the interval, before Longford's David O'Sullivan latched onto a Mark Salmon ball and powered it past the Bray keeper.

Twice in the next ten minutes the visitors came close to equalising, John Sullivan especially unlucky in that his effort was deflected away off a Bray shirt.

A second yellow card for Town captain Stephen Rice gave the visiting fans hope, but despite shots by Ryan McEvoy and substitute Emeka Onwubiko, the Midlanders were able to hold out for all three points.

In the early exchanges, Longford were first to show and as so often happens the first attack is over-hasty and met with the offside flag, here for Dean Kelly from O'Sullivan's feed.

Bray were quick to respond and a surging run by Hugh Douglas was only halted by a foul tackle in a dangerous position, but the home side were able to clear their lines rather easily.

On the quarter hour, O'Sullivan missed a golden chance when Salmon's free from wide was headed back into the goal area by Mark Rossiter. The unmarked Longford striker blazed over at the back post.

Six minutes later, another good free delivered by Salmon was met by Rossiter but his downward header was straight at Peter Cherrie.

And minutes after that Longford's Pat Sullivan played a neat one-two into the area with Rice, but his cross beat everyone and the Bray defence could clear without interference.

Longford continued to work the wings, and on the half hour Lorcan Shannon delivered into the danger area, but none of his colleagues had made the trip.

With seven minutes to go until the break, McEvoy and Scully worked an opening to put Lyons through on goal. An excellent save from Paul Hunt denied the visitors' solo striker.

In the final minutes of the half, Peter McGlynn found himself free on the left after a clever nutmeg of Sullivan, but Rice won a free out to clear the danger.

The first chance of the second period went to Bray as Cassidy got behind the defence to cross but Lyons's run was met by the offside flag.

Ten minutes after the resumption, Hunt made easy work of Scully's cross, with neither side really looking like scoring.

But then Longford danger man O'Sullivan smashed the ball past Cherrie from the edge of the area after an excellent long through-ball from Salmon.

Bray responded quickly, with Cassidy blasting a low effort from the edge of the area but Hunt did well to get down to it. From the resultant corner, Hunt claimed a tame enough shot on goal.

Soon after the hour, Bray again almost equalised after a quick free kick, but Hunt saved well.

Sullivan was unlucky midway through the half to see his strike deflected off a green shirt and bobbling out for a goal kick.

The Longford skipper made a poorly enough judged challenge on Michael Barker, enough to earn himself a second entry in Paul McLaughlin's book and an early shower.

Both sides made changes to adjust to the new situation, Longford leaving Raheem Simon as a lone striker in hope of defending their slim lead.

Bray, on the other hand, pressed without much success, Hunt in action again to handle McEvoy's effort from the edge of the area.

With just minutes left, Rossiter made a frantic clearance from a dangerous cross, and a counter-attack almost put Simon through before Onwubiko halted his progress.

Deep in time added, the Bray keeper made a foray into the opposition half to beef up the crowd for a corner, but to no effect.

Compiled by Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Peter Cherrie; 20 Hugh Douglas, 12 Niall Cooney, 5 Alan McNally, 2 Michael Barker; 15 John Sullivan; 7 David Scully, 10 Ryan McEvoy, 8 David Cassidy (c), 13 Peter McGlynn; 18 Chris Lyons
Subs: 4 Daniel O'Reilly, 6 Adam Mitchell, 9 Adam Wixted, 19 Emeka Onwubiko (for McGlynn 75), 22 Luke Fitzpatrick, 23 Gareth McDonagh, 50 Sean Fogarty (gk)
Longford Town: 1 Paul Hunt; 14 Patrick Sullivan, 22 Mark Rossiter, 23 Rhys Gorman, 2 Conor Powell; 11 Kevin O'Connor, 6 Stephen Rice (c), 8 Mark Salmon, 7 Lorcan Shannon; 25 Dean Kelly, 15 David O'Sullivan
Subs: 2 James Mulhall, 3 Martin Deady, 4 Noel Haverty, 16 Ayman Ben Mohamed (for Shannon 85), 18 Paul Skinner (gk), 19 Kaleem Simon (for Kelly 61), 21 Philip Gannon (for O'Sullivan 76)
Referee: Paul McLaughlin