Shamrock Rovers 6
Bray Wanderers 0
Dave Donnelly reports from Tallaght Stadium
DAN CARR AND Sean Kavanagh bagged their first Shamrock Rovers goals as the Hoops destroyed a dire Bray Wanderers under snowfall at Tallaght Stadium on Monday night.
Graham Burke opened the goal with a stunning first-half strike, while Brandon Miele netted twice in addition to a Dave McAllister effort, as the home side ran rampant after the break.
Following an opening period in which Rovers dominated the ball and played most of the game in the opposition half, it was a moment of magic that finally unlocked the game’s first goal.
Carr and Burke had earlier seen curling efforts clear the far post as Bray’s containment game appeared to reap dividends, but there was no defending the ex-Aston Villa trainee’s brilliant opener.
There seemed little danger when Ally Gilchrist, vocally encouraged by manager Stephen Bradley, stepped forward and aimed a long pass to Sean Kavanagh.
He touched it down for Burke who, from all of 25 yards, sent an immaculately-weighted shot over Aaron Dillon and in off the crossbar.
Within two minutes of the second half resuming, Rovers were two in front, as former Fulham winger Sean Kavanagh crossed low from the right for Miele to side-foot home from close range.
Carr engineered the third, standing up a lovely cross for McAllister to head home, before scoring his first Hoops goal following an inch-perfect through-ball from Trevor Clarke.
Kavanagh marked his first Rovers start with the fifth goal, smashing a free kick from 20 yards around the wall, before Miele made it six in the final minute of normal time.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Horgan; Boyle, Grace, Gilchrist, Clarke (Coustrain 73); Bone, McAllister, Miele, Kavanagh, Burke (Bolger 64); Carr (Boyd 68).
BRAY WANDERERS: Dillon; McKenna, Douglas, Heaney (Kenna 80), Lynch; O’Conor (Sullivan 63), Noone, McCabe; Coughlan, Galvin (Pender 60), Greene.
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
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