Gary Cronin: 'All you can do really is turn up and win your games - we'll see where that takes us'

Andrew Dempsey reports from the Carlisle Grounds 

Bray Wanderers produced a stirring fightback at the death to overcome Longford Town on Friday evening in a five-goal thriller at the Carlisle Grounds.

Sub Hugh Douglas scored the winner in the 92nd minute to secure a much-needed three points for Gary Cronin’s side.

Speaking to extratime.ie after the game, Seagulls boss Cronin admitted he was proud of team’s efforts against his former employers as both player and coach.  

“[It was] quite emotional,” the former Longford Town assistant manager said.

“We went two-one down and nothing was really happening for us. It was a hard-fought game and a draw would’ve been a fair result. We dug deep at the end there and we deserved that.

“I think both sides defended very well. Longford are a very good side. They’ve worked on a lot of things and they’ll be hurting but from our point of view to be two-one down with only a few minutes to go and dig deep like that shows our character.

“We hadn’t had that luck in previous games, but we took our chances when they came so I’m really happy with that.”

Longford Town came out on top the last time the two sides met and could have easily put more past a passive Bray Wanderers on that occasion.

However, there was an evident bite and hunger to the Seagulls play on Friday evening, an aspect that pleased the 40-year-old.



“Down in Longford was our worst performance of the season. We didn’t turn up and it was a game we deserved to lose.

“Obviously, the performance was vital tonight as was the result but to play a side that are well drilled and pass the ball well and score three goals is great. I don’t think any other team has scored three against them so far this season.”

Looking ahead, the Bray manager added that he is only focusing on his own side as the business end of the season begins in earnest after the mid-season break.

“I don’t see how anything is set with ten games to go. The results against Shels and Cobh put a bit of a dint in that for us, but tonight’s result might pull us back up there. It’s been a league where no team has ran away with it.

“Any team can defeat anyone so all you can do really is turn up and win our games and we’ll see where that takes us. Of course, the title is out of our hands but finishing in the top spots is well within our grasp and that’s what we have to try to do.”