Premier

Dalymount
10 Mar 2017

The dream start to Bray's season guttered in the Dalymount gloom as, despite a brace of goals in as many minutes by the visitors, the Gypsies came out on top in the end.

A game which had trouble breaking into life throughout the first 45 minutes exploded in the opening phases of the second, Bray punishing successive defensive errors with goals by John Sullivan and Dylan Connolly, and Dinny Corcoran providing the first response for Bohemians six minutes later.

And midway through the half, Corcoran struck again, the home side holding out for their first points, and the Seagulls' first defeat of the season.

It was an impressive come-back by the hosts, and as Bray manager Harry Kenny remarked after the previous game, one would be a little concerned about the concentration of the visiting defence, on the evidence of this match.

Historically, there has been more controversy between these two teams than has marked most of Bray's long-term relationships, and Lorcan Fitzgerald seemed intent on reinforcing that with his needling of Dylan Connolly from the aftermath of the nippy winger's first minute rob 'n' run, which ended in a dubious Bray offside call.

Referee Robert Hennessy didn't show himself a fan of playing the advantage, and both sides saw early attacks halted by the whistle.

Ian Morris fired an eighth minute free left of the target, and the sides traded further frees before the quarter hour, Dinny Corcoran tracking back well to blunt the threat from Connolly.

Bohemians, who had the better of the first half, had their first real scoring chance twelve minutes in, Keith Ward bringing a fine save from Peter Cherrie with a powerful shot, and Dan Byrne fired high from distance minutes later.

Connolly saw the flag put a stop to his next gallop, one of several that didn't quite convince.

Midway throught the half, a brace of Bohemians corners came to nothing, the first ending in a free out, though it was a Bohs player who needed attention, and the second half-cleared by Hugh Douglas, the return well claimed by Cherrie.

Paddy Kavanagh was spoken to by Hennessy after he ran into the Bray keeper while the latter was in the course of claiming a long cross, and later earned a formal caution with his clash with Connolly, neither player entirely blameless on this occasion.

Just after the half hour, Connolly was indeed offside as he ran for a long ball - but this time there was no flag, and no attack either as the ball sailed past him. Perhaps the flag he received ten minutes later was by way of compensation.

In the final minutes of the period, Douglas conceded a free on the edge of the area with his challenge on Ward, who took the set-piece himself and crashed it off the Bray crossbar.

If the hosts' approach to the second half was to go out an score, they appeared in the opening minutes to have forgotten their defensive duties, and Bray capitalised on their errors.

A second minute corner by Gary McCabe was not dealt with, giving John Sullivan the opportunity to slip a header past Shane Supple.

And less than a minute later the Seagulls were in the Gypsies' faces again, Connolly making no mistake after an error by former Bray man Derek Pender.

Two minutes later, the visitors might have made it three from a free in a dangerous position, but Kevin Lynch's shot hit the wall and the moment was lost.

And it was the hosts who struck next when Douglas's cross-field defensive header wasn't powerful enough, Jamie Doyle taking possession to feed Corcoran, who picked his spot and fired to Cherrie's left.

There followed several mminutes of furious efforts by Bohemians seeking an equaliser, the lively Georgie Poynton shooting wide and Bray captain Conor Kenna busy in defence.

Supple, who had until now been relatively under-employed, rushed forward out of his area to kick away a long ball from Cherrie, as both attack and defence chased it, and Anto Flood had a shot back off the Bohs bar after Douglas's through ball found him.

Bray's defence was a little less stylish than usual at this point, but nonetheless effective, until a cross from the unmarked Corcoran released Ward, who gave Cherrie no chance and levelled matters.

When Fitzgerald impeded Connolly once more and got himself a booking, Lynch's free was flicked on to Kenna, but he was behind the far post and couldn't get an angle on the target.

With just over ten minutes left, a moment of inattention in the Bray midfield and some classy passing by the hosts saw Corcoran played in to a scoring position by Doyle, and he doesn't often miss close in.

Connolly had a half-volley from a good position minutes later, but Supple was well-positioned to claim, although he clashed with a defender and needed some attention afterwards.

Neither side had much to show for their efforts over the remaining time, Gary McCabe picking up a card for an over-robust challenge on Fitzgerald, and Connolly one in the dying seconds for simulation.

Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Peter Cherrie; 2 Hugh Douglas, 21 Tim Clancy, 4 Conor Kenna (c), 19 Kevin Lynch; 3 John Sullivan ; 16 Dylan Connolly , 6 Keith Buckley, 11 Gary McCabe ; 9 Aaron Greene, 20 Anthony Flood
Subs: 5 Derek Foran, 7 Ryan Brennan (for Buckley 82), 8 Mark Salmon, 10 Karl Moore (for Greene 80), 14 Jamie Aherne (for McCabe 86), 23 Jason Marks, 93 Lee Steacy (gk)
Bohemians: 1 Shane Supple; 2 Derek Pender (c), 6 Dan Byrne, 5 Robert Cornwall, 3 Lorcan Fitzgerald ; 14 Patrick Kavanagh , 18 Ian Morris, 21 George Poynton, 10 Keith Ward ; 17 Jamie Doyle, 9 Daniel Corcoran
Subs: 4 Stephen Best, 8 Philip Gannon (for Ward 82), 11 Kaleem Strawbridge-Simon, 15 Oscar Brennan, 19 Dean Casey, 25 Greg Murray (gk), 26 Dylan Hayes
Referee: Robert Hennessy