Advertisement
Bray have now lost just once in their last 14 matches. Tommy Dickson/INPHO
flying seagulls

Bray's remarkable run continues with win over Lee Chin's relegation-threatened Wexford Youths

The Seagulls also guaranteed their Premier Division status for another season, in the process.

Wexford Youths 1

Bray Wanderers 3

BRAY WANDERERS MADE it just one defeat from 14 and confirmed their Premier Division status after a 3-1 win against Wexford Youths in Ferrycarrig Park.

Mark Salmon had the visitors leading at the break, before Ger Pender and Kevin Lynch made it 3-0. The Youths did manage a late consolation as Shane Dempsey fired home with two minutes remaining, but it was too little too late.

The Youths had the better of a quiet opening with Paul Murphy going close early on but he couldn’t find the target.

Andy Mulligan then looked to find the striker in a good central position, but he couldn’t control the ball and the chance was gone.

Bray however, took the lead with virtually their first attack of the game and against the run of play.

Alan McNally did well through the middle and found the run of Jason Marks who lost his marker, Youths defender Lee Grace. His low strike was saved by keeper Graham Doyle but Salmon was on hand to fire the rebound to the back of the net.

Pender then forced Doyle into a save from his header after a good Salmon cross from the left, before the Youths finished the half strongest.

Murphy and Dempsey linked up well with the latter playing the through ball for the run of Mulligan, but he couldn’t get past the Wanderers defence as the visitors held their advantage at the break.

The Youths had the ball in the back of the net at the start of the second half through Aidan Keenan but it was disallowed for a high foot on Hugh Douglas, before Bray Wanderers doubled their lead on the hour mark.

Youths’ left-back Andrew O’Connor saw his backpass to keeper Doyle fall short and Pender seized on the chance to round the keeper and fire home from the tight angle to double the away side’s advantage.

Bray sealed the points as they made it 3-0 with just over a quarter hour left on the clock.

Kevin Lynch picked up possession in a central position on the edge of the Youths area before firing low past Youths keeper Doyle.

Debutant Lee Chin, who also plays inter-county hurling for the county, almost grabbed a consolation goal late in the game from Bonner‘s free kick, but Wanderers keeper Peter Cherrie saved well, before the consolation did arrive two minutes from time.

O’Connor’s free kick wasn’t cleared properly by the punch of Cherrie and Dempsey drilled the ball home from from the edge of the penalty box.

Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle; Craig McCabe; Lee Chin, Lee Grace, Andrew O’Connor; Eric Molloy, Jonny Bonner, Shane Dempsey, Andy Mulligan (Shane Dunne 46); Aidan Keenan, Paul Murphy.

Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Tim Clancy (Chris Lyons 77), Conor Kenna, Alan Kehoe; Alan McNally; Jason Marks (Sean Harding 79), Mark Salmon, Karl Moore, Kevin Lynch; Ger Pender (Andrew Lewis 69).

Referee: Jim McKell.

The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!

Conor Hourihane gets first senior Ireland call – but no place for Dundalk’s Horgan

3 months after it was ‘agreed’, Martin O’Neill has finally signed his new Ireland contract

Your Voice
Readers Comments
3
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.