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AUL
28 Feb 2021

Alan Patchell watches the players prepare for a Bray free

Wanderers earned a second pre-season draw with Premier Division opposition in their match played in glorious sunshine on Sunday afternoon.

City forced an early corner, but Darren Cole's header was blocked and Bray broke quickly to clear as they closed off that chance.

Ryan Graydon fired across the Derry goal from a tight angle after Brandon Kavanagh had played him down the right wing on the quarter hour.

Daniel Lafferty with a searching ball nearly set David Parkhouse away, but Bray keeper Kian Clarke read the danger well. Moments later, Lafferty fired straight at Clarke when the ball fell to him in the area.

Two minutes after that, Darren Craven’s shot was headed away by Derry captain Eoin Toal for a corner that eventually came to nothing.

A Lafferty cross from the left was headed wide at the back post by Parkhouse on 23 minutes. Three minutes later, another Lafferty shot was saved by Clarke, who tipped the ball over the bar. The resulting corner was headed away to Marc Walsh on the edge of the area and he shot straight at the keeper.

Just past the half hour, Bray threatened again, with Brandon Kavanagh firing a free kick from the right just past the post.

A minute later, Kavanagh fired another free kick from a similar area straight at Candystripes keeper Nathan Gartside.

Luka Lovic, who operated at centre half, played a superb ball down the right wing for Kavanagh and he turned in and fired just over on 39 minutes.

Just before the break Walsh shot just over at the back post for Derry after the ball broke to him on the edge of the area.

Early in the second half, City nearly made a break-through with a Parkhouse effort which was blocked at point blank range.

Joe Thompson made an opportunity for Derry on 53 minutes from just outside the area, but his shot was always going wide.

After good build up play, Derry substitute Aaron Harkin got under his effort and scooped it well over the bar.

Ryan Graydon fired across the goal after Gary Shaw had headed on a Dylan Barnett cross to him.

Both sides made full use of the subs bench in the second half.

Bray Wanderers: 25 Kian Clarke; 2 Mark Byrne, 3 Dylan Barnett, 17 Luka Lovic, 5 Aaron Barry (c); 21 Conor Clifford, 6 Richard O’Farrell, 7 Ryan Graydon, 8 Darren Craven; 28 Brandon Kavanagh, 10 Gary Shaw
Subs: 1 Brian Maher (for Clarke H/T), 4 Andy Quinn, 12 Trialist A (for Clifford 76), 16 Glen Hollywood (for Byrne 76), 19 Darragh Lynch (for Shaw 61), 20 Trialist B (for Graydon 86), 20 Johnny Leddy, 22 Cian Maher (for Barry 61), 23 Dean O’Shea (for Craven 61), 24 Trialist C (for Kavanagh 76)
Derry City: 1 Nathan Gartside, 19 Marc Walsh, 6 Eoin Toal (c), 21 Cameron McJannet, 3 Ciaran Coll, 24 Daniel Lafferty, 20 Darren Cole, 8 Joe Thomson, 10 Will Patching, 7 Will Fitzgerald, 9 David Parkhouse
Subs: 11 James Akintunde (for Parkhouse 75), 15 Ronan Boyce, 23 Danny Lupano (for McJannett H/T), 30 Jack Lemoignan (gk), 32 Aaron Harkin (for Thompson 61), 33 Michael Glynn (for Lafferty 72), 35 Caolan McLaughlin (for Patching 72), 36 Brendan Barr (for Cole 77)
Referee: Alan Patchell