Dr Tony O'Neill Trophy

Belfield Park
19 August 2006

There was little to choose between the teams in the early stages of this top of the table encounter, with both sides attacking and each creating goal chances, but neither could make them count.

James Hussey took well in the first minute when Tomás Earls had a throw near the right corner, and Graham McNamee did well to claim the ball at the edge of his area.

A quarter of an hour in, Darren Lacey had a rasping shot come back off the stanchion with Hussey well beaten and minutes later Timmy Purcell tried a lob, but it went left of the posts.

Just before that a loud claim for handball led referee Neil Doyle uncharacteristically to give the decision the other way.

Half way through the first period, after good work by Chris Deans up the right, Lacey forced a weak clearance from a throw after Hussey had difficulty in claiming the ball, and Keith Kelch's shot, though wide, was kept in play by the defence. Eventually a scrambled clearance put an end to several Bray attempts to deliver an attacking ball.

On the half hour, Kieran Harte's corner, when a handball went unseen, got a touch from the attack, but McNamee took cleanly.

The opening score came with only five minutes remaining in the half from what had seemed an unthreatening situation, when Conan Byrne swung in a free from the righthand corner, and the lively Purcell rose well to power it home.

By this stage what had seemed like a nice morning had degenerated into a downpour, which destroyed the shapes of both teams.

Ten minutes into the second period, Bray had a promising chance when a throw headed on by David O'Sullivan reached substitute Ross Zambra, but his header was claimed by Hussey.

Conan Byrne shot narrowly right after a long clearance, anf McNamee was called on for a good stop minutes later.

John Broderick shot over after he had maintained possession on the left, working his way into the centre for a chance, and the same player restored equality when a long off-side free by McNamee bounced over the UCD defence and he half-volleyed a lob over the advancing Hussey.

The home side lead was restored, however, just two minutes later when the Bray defence failed to clear, the ball went left to U10, and his attempt reached Purcell for a tap-in, his second of the day and the eventual winner.

With only a quarter of an hour to go, Zambra cut his free back for Maurice Dunne, but he pulled his attempt left, and minutes later Zambra recovered from a miskick to cross nicely for Brian Gartland, but the header was well over.

Bray kept up the pressure, Hussey having to punch a Zambra free away for a corner, but a Dunne foul relieved the pressure.

In the final minute of injury time, Hussey's free from well inside the UCD half reached Francis Moran, but his effort went tamely right.

Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Graham McNamee; 2 Tomás Earls, 5 Chris Deans, 4 Brian Gartland, 3 Ronan Ivory; 7 Stephen Roche, 6 Keith Kelch (c), 8 Sean Fitzgerald, 11 Robbie Manley; 9 David O'Sullivan, 10 Darren Lacey
Subs: 12 Maurice Dunne (for Roche 54), 14 Ross Zambra (for Manley 54), 15 John Broderick (for O'Sullivan 57), 16 Niall Merriman (for Kelch 57), 17 James O'Shea (for Ivory 68)
UCD: 1 James Hussey; 2 Damien Kelly, 5 Evan McMillen, 4 David Last, 3 Killian Gallagher; 7 Conan Byrne, 6 James O'Sullivan, 8 Kieran Harte, 10 Francis Moran; 9 Paul Byrne, 11 Timmy Purcell
Subs: 12 Rory Keaveney, 14 Greg Bolger (for Kelly 76), 15 Dave Massey (for O'Sullivan 76), 17 Declan O'Donnell (for P Byrne 76)
Referee: Neil Doyle