Dundalk 5
Bray Wanderers 0
Caoimhín Reilly reports from Oriel Park
DUNDALK MADE IT five wins on the trot with a resounding 5-0 victory over hapless Bray Wanderers at Oriel Park tonight.
Without several first-teamers for a variety of reasons, Wanderers’ challenge never really got started as they found themselves 2-0 in arrears after just 15 minutes.
Ex-Bray man Dylan Connolly was highly influential, assisting Patrick Hoban for his 13th goal of the season before – just two minutes later – picking out the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Hoban twice went close to extending the gap before Jamie McGrath added a third on 39 minutes, converting after Bray ‘keeper Evan Moran failed to hold Michael Duffy’s stinging shot.
In fairness, the Wicklow side weren’t helped in their efforts by injuries to ‘skipper Gary McCabe and defender Dylan Hayes in the first half and their misery was compounded further when Hoban headed home his second of the night just past the hour.
Marco Tagbajumi opened his league account for the Lilywhites in Monday night’s victory over Waterford and the lofty striker made it two in two by diverting goal number five past the Moran.
Yet the result was put into some perspective in closing moments when Bray substitute Andrew McGovern was involved in a bad collision with team-mate Seán Heaney.
The reaction of the players and the crowd near hand to his leg injury was immediate and several medical officials dealt with the Bray defender before he was taken away in an ambulance.
Cut adrift at the foot of the table, the Seagulls’ season has, unfortunately, taken yet another severe blow. Dundalk, however, remain at the division’s summit.
DUNDALK: Gary Rogers; Seán Hoare, Brian Gartland, Daniel Cleary, Dean Jarvis; Chris Shields, Robbie Benson (Krisztián Adorján HT); Dylan Connolly, Jamie McGrath (Ronan Murray 62) Michael Duffy; Patrick Hoban (Marco Tagbajumi 62)
BRAY WANDERERS: Evan Moran, Dylan Hayes (Dragos Mamaliga HT), Conor Kenna, Seán Heaney, Kevin Lynch; Daniel McKenna, Paul O’Conor; Daniel Kelly, Gary McCabe (Andrew McGovern 27), Corey Galvin; Rónán Coughlan (Ger Pender 82)
Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin)
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