Eircom League Premier Division
Saturday 11 August, 7.45pm
Attendance:
Match Sponsor: McCarricks Motors, Tubbercurry
Presidents Man of the Match: Adam Hughes


Although there was three sendings off, a penalty and a couple of Bray’s management team sent to the line, it wasn’t a bad tempered affair and in truth had Bray taken their first half chances, the result may have been different. But ultimately the home side’s clinical finishing won out.

Fire eaters, ball jugglers, mascots and stilt walkers were the order of the day as the Bit O’Red regulars were joined by a large contingent of families and under age teams who responded to the call of the club’s promotions efforts during the week. And it worked, as  a noisy cauldron greeted the teams when they took the field.

Rovers and Bray were both unchanged from their previous outings and settled into the fray immediately. It was first blood for the home side as an early effort from distance for Ventre went wide of Williams post.  

The vocal home supporters didn’t have to wait long though and on three minutes a Gary Cronin backpass to Steve Williams was sliced into the air by the ‘keeper, leaving Mat Judge with a simple tap into an empty net to put the Bit O’Red ahead.

The visitors almost equalised moments later when local man Alan Cawley flashed a free kick just passed Brush’s post. Bray continued to press and created a number of decent chanced.

On twelve minutes a Bray set-piece was only half cleared to Gary McCabe on the edge of the box and his snap shot had Richard Brush at full stretch but it didn’t hit the target. Midway through the half, James O’Shea burst into the Rovers box and hit a low shot midway forcing a save from Brush’s feet.

Both sides were reduced to ten men on the half hour when Daniel Ventre went in with both feet on Mark Duggan, Ventre receiving a straight red for the tackle, and Duggan getting the same for his retaliation. The Bray assistant, Keith Long, also saw red when he was sent to the stand.

The sendings off took their toll as both sides tried to get back into a rhythm before the break, but apart from a couple of half chances for Judge and shots from distance for the visitors, neither ‘keeper were troubled.

Both sides came out with intent in the opening exchanges of the second half, with early efforts from Coleman for Rovers and Alan Cawley from a set-piece for the visitors.

It was the home side however, that looked the more likely as the half progressed as Judge and Kudozovic came more into the frame. The best chance in the first quarter hour came courtesy of a surging Adam Hughes run that sent Kudozovic free on the left. The Bosnian held it up before picking out Hughes at the front post but the Australian couldn’t find the target.

A mistake by Alan Cawley on sixty two minutes allowed Fahrudin Kudozovic to break through and he timed his through ball perfectly to O’Grady who battled into the box before being upended by Clive Delaney who was sent to the line by Whoriskey. And up stepped Kudozovic to slot home his ninth league goal of the season from the resultant spot kick. In the confusion that followed the sending off, Bray manager Eddie Gormley was also sent to the line.

The majestic Hughes almost added a third ten minutes later, again bursting through the middle dispatching a fierce effort from outside the box that forced a good stop from Williams.

The home side were cruising at this stage and had chances to extend their lead. With nine minutes left on the clock, Kudozovic took advantage of good work from Gary Curran to snatch a shot but it went wide. Curran was involved again five minutes later, finding Manson in the box and the Scot set up Hughes, whose effort blasted off the bar and over.

The lively Stephen Manson sealed the three points with a well taken goal, latching onto a low Cash cross from the right, stabbing it first time into the net with the outside of his right foot.

This result puts Rovers back into fourth place but next up for the Bit O’Red is the long trip to Waterford next Friday night to face United in the Ford FAI Cup.
 

Teams

Sligo Rovers
Richard Brush, Seamus Coleman, Daniel Ventre, Gavin Peers, Jamie McKenzie, Conor O’Grady, Rafael Cretaro, Adam Hughes, Matt Judge Brian Cash (72 min), Fahrudin Kudozovic (Stephen Manson 84 min), Mark Boyd (Gary Curran 78 min)

Subs not used:, Keith Foy, , Levi Tierney

Bray Wanderers
Steve Williams, Gary Cronin (Steven Gough 69 min), Ray Kenny, Chris Deans, Clive Delaney, Stephen Fox, Mark Duggan, Alan Cawley (Andrie Georgescu 84 min), James O’Shea, Gary McCabe, Patrick Kavanagh (Emeka Onwubiko 59 mins)

Subs not used: Chris O’Connor, John Mulroy,

Referee
Hugo Whoriskey

Report by Paraic Casey