DUNDALK

0-0

BRAY WANDERERS

Premier

Oriel Park
16 Feb 2018

Chris Shields and Gary McCabe one-on-one
pic dundalkfc.com

A scoreless draw is the sort of outcome that keeps soccer in the ranks of less-favoured sports in the USA - but for Irish fans this one is a fascinating initial encounter between one of the top teams - at home - and one widely tipped as a relegation candidate come the autumn.

Manager Dave Mackey will no doubt be quietly jubilant on his way back to Wicklow tonight.

A single point is a start for the Seagulls, and taken in that place at that time it's a message to the rest of the League: don't under-estimate the men from Bray.

The first few minutes saw the home side on the attack, but though new Bray keeper Aaron Dillon was busy, he wasn't tested.

Early corners, and shots by Jamie McGrath and Robbie Benson were easily dealt with, while Dean Jarvis sent a powerful drive over the bar.

Cory Galvin's caution for simulation midway through the first period may have galvanised the visitors, because minutes later Aaron Greene contrived an opportunity, and Stephen Folan had to block.

And Galvin himself brought a decent save from former Seagull Gary Rogers in the next serious action, which could quite easily have put the underdogs into the lead, while Dillon needed to tip over a Benson header following Jarvis's cross.

But despite Dundalk's dominance, the half-time whistle went with Bray moving strongly on the counter.

The second half followed much the same pattern, with a resolute Bray defence frustrating the Lilywhites' attack.

Substitute Krisztian Adorjan, followed by Benson, again, brought Dillon into action, the latter coming dangerously close to the lefthand post.

Bray almost scored when a loose ball by Dane Massey was pounced on by substitute Daniel Kelly and Rogers had to make a fine stop to deny the onrushing Greene.

With just ten minutes to go, Seagulls skipper Gary McCabe broke through the Dundalk defence and forced another good save from Rogers, and a few minutes after that, Greene tried a distance effort that flew just past the target.

The home side peppered the Bray area into the three minutes of time added, but to no effect.

If you have to face of the top teams first out in a League campaign, this was the outcome you'd give a lot for, and it will be a valuable morale-booster for a hastily assembled squad.

Compiled by Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Aaron Dillon; 16 Daniel McKenna, 2 Hugh Douglas, 5 Seán Heaney, 3 Kevin Lynch ; 6 Paul O'Conor, 7 Cory Galvin , 8 John Sullivan, 21 Gary McCabe (c); 19 Rónán Coughlan, 10 Aaron Greene
Subs: 9 Gerald Pender, 11 Jake Kelly, 12 Dylan Hayes, 14 Rhys Gorman, 17 Daniel Kelly (for Coughlan 72), 22 Darragh Noone (for Sullivan 60), 29 Evan Moran (gk)
Dundalk: 1 Gary Rogers; 2 Sean Gannon, 15 Stephen Folan , 14 Dane Massey (c), 33 Dean Jarvis; 5 Chris Shields , 18 Robbie Benson; 16 Dylan Connolly, 10 Jamie McGrath (for Murray 66), 7 Michael Duffy; 19 Ronan Murray
Subs: 9 Patrick Hoban, 11 Krisztian Adorjan (for Connolly 57), 12 Sam Byrne (for McGrath 80), 17 George Poynton, 21 Daniel Cleary, 22 Gabriel Sava (gk), 25 Jack O'Keeffe
Referee: Rob Rogers

Back to the topContact us