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AUL
28 Jan 2022

Scoreline apart, Bray boss Ian Ryan insisted after today's pre-season defeat to St Patricks Athletic that his planning for the period leading up to the start of the League was going well.

Match Report from the

St. Patrick’s Athletic flexed their attacking muscles and racked up a heavy scoreline as Bray Wanderers ticked another box on their pre-season journey. Two goals inside the opening three minutes was not the ideal start for the Seagulls but Ian Ryan won’t lose any sleep over a pre-season friendly.

It was the well-travelled marksman Eoin Doyle who bagged both early goals for Tim Clancy’s outfit. With just 48 seconds on the clock, Mark Doyle was jinking in the penalty area and saw his shot come back off the foot of the post. Sam Curtis retrieved it and crossed for Eoin Doyle who took one touch before applying the finish.

Bray tried to respond. Ger Shortt was making his maiden appearance and he worked the ball to workhorse Jake Walker, who engineered a yard of space to get the shot away, but David Odumosu was equal to it at his near post.

It was 2-0 by the third minute as Eoin Doyle was played through on goal and the next step was never in doubt as he coolly converted.

A Pats' defender outmuscled Shortt on eight minutes and played a wonderful pass for Serge Atakayi. He turned his man inside out in the box, but his shot lacked conviction and Alex Moody was more than capable of dealing with it.

Chris Lyons won a free kick for Bray on the edge of the box when Noah Lewis tripped him. Conor Crowley struck it and Odumosu couldn’t catch cleanly but an offside flag ended the scramble to convert the rebound.

Crowley was stood over another free near the corner flag a few minutes later. With everyone in the box awaiting his delivery, he laid it back to Max Murphy – who laid it onto Harry Groome – and Groome’s drive had Odumosu scrambling across his goal before going wide.

Moody was back in the thick of the action when Sam Curtis found Atalayi with a cross from the right. The attacker unleashed a shot that Moody parried, and he grabbed the rebound before Mark Doyle could attack it.

Midway through the first period, the woodwork denied the visitors. Bray won back possession and Shortt danced in off the right flank, skipping by two challenges. His shot wasn’t the most powerful, but it was certainly measured, and it cruelly bounced back off the upright.

Bray continued to offer a threat and a floated ball forward saw Walker pick out Lyons with a delicious and deft first-time flick. The ex-Drogheda front man took aim and fired one from the D but failed to beat Odumosu.

Walker never stopped battling to draw breath and in the 27th minute, he chased down a defender in the area and won the ball back. He had very little room in which to operate but touched it into Shortt’s path and he screwed wide from a narrow angle.

A risky pass inside from Max Murphy was seized upon by Pat’s and – in an instant – Atakayi was clean through and looking to punish. But he sent his shot wide, and Murphy was quickly told not to make the same mistake again.

A cross/shot from Shortt zipped across the face of goal and very nearly swerved in on 40 minutes.

Bray had Cole Omorehiomwan to thank for keeping it 2-0 on the stroke of half time. Mark Doyle released his namesake Eoin, and he chipped one to the back post for Anto Breslin. He caught it on the volley and beat Moody, but Omorehiomwan had read the danger and cleared off the line.

The Saints made a rapid start to the first half and the same happened in the second period.

Substitute Jake Mulraney was slipped through after Bray had lost possession and he coolly curled past Stephen McGuinness for 3-0.

Mulraney then turned provider within a minute as he showed good strength and skill inside the area before laying it on a plate for Ben McCormack.

Mulraney missed another one-on-one in the 65th minute but Pat’s would add two more to their tally before time was out.

A tasty free-kick delivery from McCormack allowed ex-Student Tommy Lonergan to neatly glance home and then on 79 minutes Mulraney cracked home a wicked drive from 25 yards.

Mulraney would spurn two more individual battles with McGuinness – the first wide, the latter saved – but the damage had already been done.

Daniel Gorman

Bray Wanderers: 1 Alex Moody; 18 Max Murphy, 12 Cole Omorehiomwan, 14 Dane Massey (c), 3 Len O’Sullivan; 11 Gerard Shortt, 7 Conor Crowley, 6 Luka Lovic, 8 Harry Groome; 19 Jake Walker, 9 Chris Lyons
Subs: 4 Jack Hudson (for Massey H/T), 15 Ben Feeney (for Lyons 61), 18 Callum Thompson (for Shortt H/T), 20 Conor Knight, 21 Guillermo Amiral (for Lovic H/T), 22 Colin Kelly (for Walker 70), 23 Jamie Callaghan (for ? 70), 24 Zach Donohue (for O'Sullivan 35), 25 Stephen McGuinness (for Moody H/T), 27 Leon Ajala (for Groome 60), 28 Callum Goad, 35 Jack Ross (gk), Lorcan Fitzgerald (for Omorehiomwan 62)
St Patricks Athletic: David Odumosu; Noah Lewis, Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti; Sam Curtis, Vladislav Kreida, Jamie Lennon, Anto Breslin; Serge Atakayi, Eoin Doyle, Mark Doyle