Season Review 2020: Bray Wanderers

Team: Bray Wanderers

Manager: Gary Cronin

Top Scorer: Gary Shaw (7 league goals).

Stadium: Carlisle Grounds.

Highest Attendance: 1,016 (2-0 win v Wexford, Friday 28 February).

Lowest Attendance: 0.

Star Player: Dylan Barnett

With 11 assists to his name, Dylan Barnett – a First Division league title winner with Waterford previously – has established as one of the most impressive full-backs in the League of Ireland as a whole in 2020.

The Wicklow native joined the Seagulls ahead of the 2019 campaign, and he has asserted himself as one of Gary Cronin’s key players in the 2020 campaign – not that he wasn’t last season.

The 23-year-old is likely to have won plenty of admirers during the past campaign – and it is thoroughly deserved as a result of his efforts this season.

While he is often noted for his attacking ability, Barnett was part of a Bray defence that only conceded 11 league goals this season – capping off a superb season for the full-back.

Best Young Player: Brian Maher

Initially joining Bray Wanderers on loan from St Patrick’s Athletic before making his move to Co. Wicklow permanent, goalkeeper Brian Maher has enjoyed a strong debut season in senior League of Ireland football.

Maher picked up ten clean sheets for Cronin’s young guns, and he only conceded 13 league goals in 18 games, with four of those coming in their shock opening night of the season loss to Cabinteely.

He was however unable to help Bray clinch promotion back to the top-flight, but for a 20-year-old playing in his first year of senior football, it was a sterling effort from the Ireland under-19 international.

Best New Signing: Sean McEvoy

There are several contenders for Bray Wanderer’s best recruit of the 2020 season, but midfielder Sean McEvoy has certainly staked a fair claim for this title.

McEvoy joined the Seagulls from Irish League outfit Ballinamallard United during the summer transfer window, and after joining, he made 16 appearances for the Co. Wicklow side.

In addition, he produced a number of impressive displays from the middle of the park, none more so than his performance during the comprehensive 3-0 win at home to Longford Town.

He also was remarkably Bray Wanderers’ third highest goalscorer of the season, scoring four goals in his 16 league appearances.

What we expected they would do: 3^rd

The extratime.com team predicted Bray to be well in the promotion hunt, and we weren’t too far wrong in the end.

What they actually did:

First Division

As far as endings go for Bray Wanderers, it could not have gone any worse for the Seagulls as they went in search of promotion back to the top-flight.

The Seagulls – up until the final week of the season – were in pole position to clinch the First Division title, but within the space of just seven days, their dreams were dashed by Galway United.

The Tribesmen defeated Bray twice at the Carlisle Grounds in the space of a week. Their first loss at home saw them see their title hopes all but end, and the second saw their playoff dreams dashed.

But had you said that would happen after they went four goals behind away to Cabinteely on the opening night of the season, you may have been laughed at.

Overall, despite the heartache, Bray emerged as a real force once again in terms of the First Division promotion race after a disappointing 2019.

There were of course some great nights for Bray in 2020, with sweeping wins over Longford Town, UCD, Cabinteely and Shamrock Rovers II giving them plenty of optimism for the future.

They also saw a number of young stars emerge, none more so than teenage striker Darragh Lynch who catapulted himself onto the scene with some impressive goalscoring displays.

The Seagulls also had the best defensive record in the division, and picked up ten clean sheets for their troubles.

But despite the positives, and as the dust settles, you can only be left thinking what might have been for Bray Wanderers in the league title and promotion race…

FAI Cup

It was one and done for Bray Wanderers in the FAI Cup as they exited the FAI Cup at the hands of Finn Harps.

Ollie Horgan’s side comfortably saw off the challenge of Gary Cronin’s side thanks to a brace from Alexander Kogler.

What they need to improve on for next year:

Make no mistake about it, Bray Wanderers enjoyed a superb 2020 campaign – despite its obvious heart-breaking conclusion.

The Seagulls were not necessarily expected to go on and win the First Division league title, but their close shave will give them plenty of confidence ahead of the 2021 season.

Like many other clubs, Bray will be looking to improve, but it is quite obvious that they do need to find a more prolific goalscorer that will fire them to the First Division title.

Drogheda had Mark Doyle who scored 13 league goals, while UCD – who finished third – had two players who both scored over 15 goals each.

But while they need to score more, that should not come at the cost of their imperious defensive record – and that’s the big conundrum facing Gary Cronin’s backroom team.

If they do solve that issue and keep the bones of their 2020 squad for the 2021 season, they have a real chance of going even closer to Premier Division football.