Bray Wanderers 0
Dundalk 3
Dan Gorman reports from the Carlisle Grounds.
A FLAWLESS DISPLAY from Dundalk ensured that it was a miserable night on and off the field for Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.
A Robbie Benson brace and a standard stunner from Patrick McEleney saw the Lilywhites march to victory and open up a 10-point lead in second place on a night that the Seagulls’ chairman Denis O’Connor admitted that ‘it is just not viable to continue to run a club at the level expected by fans without proper support’.
The Bray clean sheet lasted a mere 100 seconds. The goal actually came from a Bray corner but McEleney broke up the field and found Michael Duffy. He subsequently released Benson who sidestepped Peter Cherrie’s challenge and stroked it to the empty net.
Bray should have been level in the 16th minute. Gary McCabe swung a corner in towards the near post and Anthony Flood stole in ahead of his man but miscued his header and it looped harmlessly onto the roof of the net.
Dundalk’s second was a beautiful goal and one that Bray were unwittingly forced to watch and admire as Jamie McGrath and Chris Shields combined to tee up Benson for a first-time finish after one-touch football all the way.
Despite the last sunrays of June beaming down on them, the Lilywhites didn’t have to break sweat as they trotted around the Carlisle Grounds. They added a third in the 63rd minute when Patrick McEleney lobbed the switched-off Cherrie from 30 yards.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Keith Buckley, Hugh Douglas, Conor Kenna, Kevin Lynch; John Sullivan, Mark Salmon (Darragh Noone, 65); Ryan Brennan, Gary McCabe (Jason Marks, 81), Aaron Greene; Anthony Flood (Ger Pender, 65).
Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Niclas Vemmelund, Dane Massey; Michael Duffy, Stephen O’Donnell (Chris Shields, 20), Robbie Benson, Jamie McGrath (John Mountney, 58); Patrick McEleney; David McMillan (Ciaran Kilduff, 80).
Referee: Robert Rogers.
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