Premier

Richmond Park
21 Jul 2017

A third consecutive defeat, together with other weekend results, saw Wanderers drop two places in the table.

Gary McCabe's late first half goal, well taken if somewhat against the run of play, seemed likely to herald an away win.

But the Saints seemed to find their scoring boots during the interval, and Conan Byrne and Christy Fagan struck in rapid succession to reverse the home side's fortunes.

Not even an attacking half-time substitution on Harry Kenny's part was able to redress the balance, and it's difficult not to conclude that off-pitch upheavals are having an effect on play.

So rather than pressing on, Bray effectively capitulated, with Pats substitute Josh O'Hanlon firing an insurance goal past Peter Cherrie in time added.

The home side had provided solid early pressure, Billy Dennehy just missing the target eight minutes in after a long ball from Killian Brennan found Fagan and the latter fed the former Cork winger.

Killian Brennan next served Graham Kelly, but he put the ball well wide.

Just inside the quarter hour McCabe won a free for the visitors, Conor O'Malley reading it well.

From the counter-attack, a corner created problems for the Bray defence, and Conan Byrne was able to gain control after a partial clearance and feed Fagan, whose header wasn't that much too high.

The visitors seemed unable to finish when at last they began to create possession, and O'Malley punched clear when Kevin Lynch's cross was too close to him.

Killian Brennan was able to muscle McCabe off the ball as he approached menacingly, and when Conan Byrne crossed at the far end there was no red shirt to take advantage.

In fact, there was little sign of a breakthrough when McCabe drew a foul from Killian Brennan, and the Bray man looped the ball into the top of the far corner of the net.

The Saints seemed stunned, and made little headway in the remainder of the first period, but they were a different proposition when they reappeared, and from their fifth corner in just six minutes, Conan Byrne rose to meet Billy Dennehy's flag-kick and head them level.

Three minutes later the Pats man had the ball in the net again, buit the offside flag was up.

There was nothing to prevent Christy Fagan's strike two minutes after that when Conan Byrne turned provider from the right, and now Bray were the ones looking nonplussed.

Fagan in turn should have doubled his tally ten minutes further in, but Cherrie got his left hand to the ball, enough to thwart the striker.

And once more, with Bray showing very little response, and only twelve minutes remaining, Dennehy crossed from the left but just beyond Fagan's reach.

Four minutes from time, McCabe shot wide from a corner by Aaron Greene, and inside the final minute of regular time Bray contrive a rare counter-attack following a Pats corner, but Ryan Brennan's low shot is just right of O'Malley's post.

And the home side's clincher came from good work by Dennehy, who found O'Hanlon after winning possession and the sub beat the offside trap and left the Bray defence waiting for a whistle and another goal down.

Compiled by Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Peter Cherrie; 6 Keith Buckley, 2 Hugh Douglas, 4 Conor Kenna , 19 Kevin Lynch; 8 Mark Salmon , 3 John Sullivan; 7 Ryan Brennan, 11 Gary McCabe , 23 Jason Marks; 9 Aaron Greene
Subs: 5 Derek Foran, 10 Karl Moore (for Marks 73), 17 Gerald Pender (for Lynch H/T), 20 Anthony Flood, 21 Tim Clancy, 22 Darragh Noone (for Sullivan 59), 93 Lee Steacy (gk)
St Patricks Athletic: 1 Conor O'Malley; 2 Michael Barker, 15 Jordi Balk , 12 Lee Desmond, 3 Ian Bermingham ; 10 Killian Brennan ; 7 Conan Byrne , 18 Kurtis Byrne, 8 Graham Kelly , 20 Billy Dennehy ; 9 Christy Fagan
Subs: 11 Jonathan Lunney (for K Byrne 77), 13 Rory Feely (for K Brennan 93), 14 Darragh Markey, 16 Barry Murphy (gk), 19 Steven Grogan, 23 Alex O'Hanlon, 26 Josh O'Hanlon (for Fagan 86)
Referee: Neil Doyle