Leinster Senior Cup

Carlisle Grounds
31 Jan 2017

Faced with yet another Leinster Cup outing against St Patricks Athletic, the team they have faced more than any other in the competition since entering the League, Bray simply wilted.

Two down inside the opening quarter of an hour and three before the interval, a fourth, barely six minutes into the second period, was probably inevitable.

It started with good work by JJ Lunney, which put Ian Bermingham in a position to find the bottom corner of Peter Cherrie's net from 18m.

Within minutes, Christy Fagan had volleyed a Conan Byrne cross past the Bray keeper to double their advantage.

Bray had a good chance from a corner soon after that, but the opportunities for the Seagulls were few and far between, though Barry Murphy had to move smartly to block a Keith Buckley effort.

But with ten minutes to the break, Fagan doubled his own tally having broken from midfield.

And it wasn't long after the restart that the Pats striker put Alex O'Hanlon clear to bag his first for his new club.

Thus the first competitive match of the new season is concluded, with just under a month to go to the start of the League.

It's unlikely to prove a reliable guide to what will happen over the next nine months, and though Pats will be pleased at the outcome, Bray's management will be straining to ensure that it isn't repeated.

Compiled by 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, 10 Karl Moore, 6 Keith Buckley, 22 Darragh Noone; 17 Gerard Pender
Subs: 5 Derek Foran (for Clancy 53), 7 Ryan Brennan (for Noone 57), 8 Mark Salmon, 9 Aaron Greene, 20 Anthony Flood (for Pender 71), 50 Ryan Brown (gk)
St Patricks Athletic: 25 Barry Murphy; 2 Michael Barker , 5 Darren Dennehy, 4 Gavin Peers , 3 Ian Bermingham ; 7 Conan Byrne, 6 Patrick Cregg, 24 Alex O'Hanlon , 20 Billy Dennehy; 11 Jonathan Lunney, 9 Christopher Fagan
Subs: 1 Conor O'Malley (gk), 8 Graham Kelly (for O'Hanlon 62), 10 Sam Verdon, 12 Lee Desmond, 13 Rory Feely (for Peers 42 inj), 18 Kurtis Byrne (for Fagan 62), 22 Aidan Keena
Referee: Alan Carey