19.30 5 Mar 2016 -
Referee:
League Report: Bray Wanderers 1 - 3 Dundalk
- Dave Donnelly
- Mon, Mar 07 2016
Dundalk's quest for three-in-a-row began with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.
Ciaran Kilduff scored twice in the first half before Ronan Finn sealed the three points ten minutes from time, Dean Kelly's deflected free kick having cut the deficit just before the half-hour.
It wasn't a vintage performance from Stephen Kenny's double-winners, but the Dubliner will be heartened by the contribution from Kilduff and midfielder Finn as he seeks to replace the 25 goals scored last year by Richie Towell.
The Seagulls, for all their close-season transfer activity, are a work-in-progress, and Mick Cooke will bemoan the sloppy errors and ill-discipline that led to all three Dundalk goals.
Cooke set his team up to frustrate the Lilywhites, with experienced defender Alan Byrne playing as a midfield screen behind Ryan Brennan and Mark Salmon, but his best-laid plans were in tatters within five minutes as Kilduff grabbed his first.
Striker Dean Kelly – one of eight new signings in the Bray line-up – was poorly caught in possession by Ronan Finn, and seconds later the ball was in the net as Kilduff had time to control John Mountney's cross and place the ball below Peter Cherrie's dive.
Dundalk's tigerish pressing was the catalyst behind Kilduff's second, as full-back Sean Harding was forced into an ill-advised backpass, and Kilduff strolled in to double his tally for the evening.
If that was the cue for the champions to repeat last season's 8-1 scoreline at Oriel Park, the Seagulls were blind to it, and they pulled one back a minute later as Dean Kelly's free-kick took a hefty deflection off Andy Boyle and looped beyond Gary Rogers' despairing dive.
A suddenly energised Bray finished the first half the stronger, as winger John Mountney was forced off with an injury to be replaced by Darren Meenan, and they had the first meaningful attempt of the second as Ryan Brennan pulled his shot wide from 20 yards.
Kelly and Dundalk defender Brian Gartland were booked for an off-the-ball confrontation, and from then on the Lilywhites enjoyed almost total domination of the game, and created a ream of chances that only poor execution kept from putting the game beyond Bray.
Kilduff had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, before showing good footwork to skip past Harding and Alan McNally only to be foiled by quick reactions from Seagulls custodian Cherrie.
Cherrie did very well to tip an overhit Dane Massey – who had inexplicably popped up on the right wing – cross over the bar, while Meenan should have made it three when Horgan unselfishly squared with the goal at his mercy.
The pressure eventually told when former Shamrock Rovers full-back Curtis Murphy, who had been booked in the first half for backchat, jumped the queue for the shower as he was sent off for a tug on Paddy Barrett.
Within 30 seconds, Dundalk had their winner as Cherrie – faultless until that point – was caught flat-footed by Ronan Finn's scuffed shot and Dundalk could finally breathe a sight of relief.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Paddy Barrett, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Stephen O'Donnell (Robbie Benson 85), Ronan Finn, Paddy McEleney (Chris Shields 74), John Mountney (Darren Meenan 38), Daryl Horgan; Ciaran Kilduff.
Subs not used: Gabriele Sava (gk), Sean Gannon, Shane Grimes, David McMillan.
Booked: Brian Gartland (52), Ronan Finn (75).
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Sean Harding, Alan McNally, Conor Kenna, Curtis Murphy; Alan Byrne, Mark Salmon, Ryan Brennan, Gareth McDonagh (Dylan Connolly 63), Karl Moore; Dean Kelly (Andrew Lewis 79).
Subs not used: Aaron Shanahan (gk), Paul Finnegan, Hugh Douglas, Robbie Creevy, Ger Pender.
Booked: Curtis Murphy (18), Alan McNally (31), Dean Kelly (52), Conor Kenna (56).
Sent off: Curtis Murphy (80).
Referee: Padraigh Sutton.
Attendance: 1,702.
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Ronan Finn (Dundalk).
You can see a selection of photos from the game here.
Subs
Subs
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dundalk | 33 | 25 | 2 | 6 | 77 |
2 | Cork | 33 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 70 |
3 | Derry | 33 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 62 |
4 | Shamrock R | 33 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 55 |
5 | Sligo | 33 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 49 |
6 | Bray | 33 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 46 |
7 | St Patrick's Athl. | 33 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 45 |
8 | Bohs | 33 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 41 |
9 | Galway | 33 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 38 |
10 | Harps | 33 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 32 |
11 | Wexford | 33 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 23 |
12 | Longford | 33 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 14 |
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