Premier

Carlisle Grounds
05 March 2010

Bray's first outing in the 2010 season ended in a last-minute defeat they hardly deserved.

Not that Garry Breen's goal was un-earned, more that the home side had worked tirelessly, and should have capitalised on early chances.

In fact, Wanderers should have been ahead as early as the second minute, when Shane O'Neill had his heels clipped by Dundalk skipper Liam Burns in the area, and referee Dave McKeon immediately pointed to the spot.

But the Bray No.10 failed to penetrate Peter Cherrie's defensive dive, the Dundalk keeper pushing the ball away and back into play.

There was some surprise that Burns had escaped sanction as the last defender in the penalty incident.

Bray then lost central defender Philip Knight to injury, their defensive formation looking slightly shaky thereafter.

The home side again went close on 14 minutes when an inswinging corner by Jake Kelly on the right allowed Shane O'Connor to get in a downward header which rebounded off the angle of upright and crossbar with the ball eventually scrambled clear by skipper Burns.

Dundalk did have a chance on 20 minutes when midfielder JJ Melligan fired just over the bar from 11m after Neale Fenn had created the opening.

New Bray signing Richie Baker was narrowly off target with a 20m free.

Then when Fenn was taken down just outside the box on the half hour, the striker took the free himself only to fire just wide of the left hand upright.

The visitors might have taken the lead when defender Shaun Kelly burst down the right to send over a cross only for the unmarked Fahrudin Kudozovic to head just over the bar from close range.

Bray might have broken the deadlock a minute before the interval when a midfield ball from Robbie Doyle found Richie Baker on the right. His low cross looked threatening but O'Neill could not apply the vital finishing touch.

After the interval the Louth side went to a 3-5-2 formation, but lost Burns to injury on the hour.

Dundalk went close on 51 minutes when a Kudozovic pass allowed Kelly to get in a cross from the right and when Shane O'Connor miscued his defensive attempt, Brian Kane got down well to save on his line.

Moments later, Bray again went desperately close when a good ball from Robbie Doyle allowed O'Neill to outpace Dundalk substitute Ciaran McGuigan only to see his 11m effort brilliantly blocked by Cherrie.

Late on, Bray substitute John Mulroy's reverse pass allowed O'Neill to turn and lose his marker, but he dragged his 12m effort wide of the open goal.

Then Kudozovic was off target for the visitors when well placed.

It appeared that the sides would have to share the points until former Wanderers man Alan Cawley found Breen with his flag kick in the final minute of normal time.

Breen headed home at the far post past a somewhat bemused home defence.

Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Brian Kane; 2 Daire Doyle (c), 4 Philip Knight, 5 Shane O'Connor, 3 Dane Massey; 11 Richie Baker, 8 Chris Shields, 6 James Kavanagh, 7 Jake Kelly; 9 Robert Doyle, 10 Shane O'Neill
Subs: 12 David Tyrrell (for Kelly 91), 14 Dean Zambra, 15 Nicky Byrne (for Knight 12 inj), 16 John Mulroy(for Doyle 86), 25 Carl Donnelly (gk)
Dundalk: 1 Peter Cherrie; 2 Shaun Kelly, 5 Garry Breen, 6 Liam Burns (c), 3 Wayne Hatswell; 7 Stephen Maher, 14 JJ Melligan, 4 Tom Miller, 11 Ross Gaynor; 10 Neale Fenn, 9 Fahrudin Kudozovic
Subs: 8 Alan Cawley (for Miller 66), 12 Michael Synnott, 13 Nathan Murphy, 15 Ciaran McGuigan (for Burns 60 inj), 22 Matt Gregg (gk)
Referee: Dave McKeon