Advertisement
Gavan Holahan's shot beats Bray 'keeper Stephen McGuinness. Donall Farmer/INPHO
revival

Holohan the architect as Drogheda's renaissance continues in Bray

Gavan Holohan, Gavin Brennan and Cathal Brady were all on the score sheet for Darius Kierans’s side.

Bray Wanderers 1

Drogheda FC 3

DROGHEDA UNITED CONTINUED their renaissance under caretaker boss, Darius Kierans, after picking up their first win in seven games on Friday night in Bray.

Goals from Gavin Brennan, Gavan Holohan and Cathal Brady secured the much needed win for Drogheda in Kieran’s second game in charge. A red card for Adam Mitchell told the story of a poor performance from the home side, who had Jake Kelly’s wonderful free-kick as the only positive.

Drogheda United opened the scoring after three minutes when a long ball from Daire Doyle found Gary O’Neill, who in turn freed Gavin Brennan to side foot home.

That goal kicked the home side into action, as Bray Wanderers controlling proceedings after that with front man Jake Kelly at the heart of all that was good in their play.

Kelly’s strike partner, Isamhil Akinade, nearly opened his side’s account when he got on the end of an excellent cross from Shane O’Neill, but the Bray target man couldn’t direct it home.

The Seagulls didn’t have to wait too much longer for a goal though. Ten minutes later, on the 17-minute mark, Jake Kelly stepped over a free kick and without too much thought hammered it into the top corner.

Drogheda, who hope to announce their new manager at an EGM on Monday after Robbie Horgan’s sacking, leap frog Bray Wanderers into 9th position after this win.

Drogheda’s second goal came on the 36th minute when Gavan Holohan pulled off a fantastic piece of skill after beating four men, striking the ball while falling, to lift it over the head of the helpless Stephen McGuinness in goal for the home side.

Graham Kelly with Daire Doyle  Ê Drogheda's Daire Doyle comes under pressure from Graham Kelly. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

That piece of magic meant the visitors went into half time on top 2-1 and left boss Kierans the happier manager.

Second-half chances from Gary O’Neill and Gavan Holohan to try increase the lead for Drogheda didn’t go their way but the Louth side grew impressively into the game.

It was goal scorer Holohan who was chief in creating chances for Drogheda on the wet surface. Drogheda’s best chance of the second half came from O’Neill who received a slick pull back from Holohan, but the veteran front man saw his shot well saved by McGuinness.

Any chance of Bray making a come back in this game was severely dented on the hour mark when centre back Adam Mitchell was shown his marching orders after a second yellow, fouling Holohan after a trademark lung-busting run into the box.

Drogheda got their third and final goal in injury time when winger Cathal Brady benefited from substitute Declan ‘Fabio’ O’Brien’s smart pass to shoot past McGuinness.

That goal compounded a miserable night at a very wet Carlisle Grounds for Alan Mathews’s side, who now sit in 10th in the league.

BRAY WANDERERS: Stephen McGuinness, Graham Kelly, Eric McGill, Shane O’Neill, David Cassidy (Byrne, 76), Ishamil Akinade (Scully, 62), Adam Hanlon, Shane O’Connor (Maloney, 24), Jake Kelly, Dean Zambra, Adam Mitchell.

Subs Not Used: Shane Redmond, Jamie McGlynn, Michael Browne, Gary Curran.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Michael Schlingermann (Connolly, 90+3), Mick Daly, Shane Grimes, Gavan Holohan, Carl Walshe, Cathal Brady, Gavin Brennan, Gary O’Neill (O’Brien, 87), Stephen Maher, Daire Doyle, Alan McNally.

Subs Not Used: Paul Crowley, Dylan Harding, Sean O’Connor, Ciaran O’Connor, Ray Kierans.

‘Honoured’ Nemanja Vidic gets to work with new club Inter

LIVE: Brazil v Colombia, World Cup quarter final