Bray firsts enjoy promising start to new season

Division 2 Bray 3 - 1 Newbridge

Bray ladies firsts had a promising start to the season with a 3-1 victory over Newbridge at their home ground on Saturday.

Bray captain Cheryl O'Toole opened the scoring for the Bray team with a well executed reverse shot from the top of the circle which caught the opponents goalkeeper off guard. Bray continued to attack with great pressure from Serena Rush, Tara Kelly and Michelle Lambert.

Strong defence from the visiting side meant that the Bray team only stayed one goal ahead at half time. Newbridge came out fighting in the second half and scored an equaliser shortly after.

Bray kept up the attacks however and excellent play by Jessica Carey, Charlotte Carney and Serena Rush saw a ball fed through to Carney who swept it past the Newbridge goalkeeper to put the Bray side in front.

A break in midfield saw another ball fed through to Charlotte Carney who with her blistering pace sprinted towards the goal and took strike from the circle clear into the goal.

Excellent defending from Bray goalkeeper Laura McCarthy and Kate Brooks ensured that Newbridge did not get back into the game and the at the final whistle the score remained at 31.

A well deserved victory for the home side.

Division 8 Muckross 2 - 2 Bray

Bray ladies seconds returned this weekend with an away game to league leaders Muckross.

It was a well fought battle with both sides penetrating the circle on several ocassions. Bray remained dominant with sharp passing and Yani Scully Lane controlled the play exceleently from the centre of the pitch.

A lapse in concentration from Bray saw Muckross get a soft goal followed quickly by another. Bray trailed 2-0 but weren't ready to give up.

Up front Susie Cannon worked tirelessly and was soon rewarded when she swept the ball into the back of the net. At half time Bray remained upbeat despite being one goal behind.

With a renewed energy Bray emerged for the second half. Solid defence from Kim Leonard in particular kept the Muckross attack at bay and enabled Bray to remain possession of the game.

With two minutes left on the clock vice captain Megan Shelley took a well executed strike inside the circle and made no mistake about finding the goal.

Bray remained composed for the last 90 seconds and were elated to get a draw away. Bray ladies seconds are away next week to Old Alex.

Division 11 Bray 1 - Botanic

Possibly one of the most intense matches that the ladies thirds have seen this season.

Both teams were evenly matched, which resulted in the need for Bray to step up their game.

The first half was enough to show just how much Bray wanted the win, however Botanic seemed to want it just as much.

Thus began a game with strong, quick passes between all the Bray players. Our mid-fielders, Heather Storey, Erica Duggan and Clare Murray, played their hearts out.

These four players, coupled with the ever speedy forwards, Aoife Gillen, Clara O'Shea and Niamh Duffy, truly set the tone for the second half.

Seeing the need to step up their game, Bray continued to play hard and strong, with every player giving at least 150% for the remainder of the game. Bray repeatedly attempted to score goals with brilliant shots set up by Clara O'Shea and Heather Storey.

However, Botanic's defence were not about to give in any time soon. Thus our defence was put to the test, but with Sarah Finnegan, Molly Dodd, Tara Smith, Hannah O' Cononr, Sam Henson, Ally O'Leary and Claire Prendergast in defence Botanic stood no chance of achieving a short corner, let alone a goal.

Which brings us to the final minute of the game, where the taste of victory was so close and the need to win was pounding throughout the Bray team's spirit.

Taken from a long corner by Molly Dodd, the ball was hit to Hannah O'Connor, who pushed it into the circle.

It was met by an opposition stick who cleared it instantly, however Bray were ready for it, with Sam Henson sweeping the ball straight back into the circle, where Aoife Gillen took a shot at goals only for the goalie to block it.

With but a few seconds remaining, Clara O' Shea took her chance with the rebound ball and pushed it straight into the goals; Bray had scored the goal that they had been pining for throughout the match! With not a moment to spare too!

A fantastic game was played by all of the ladies on the pitch, Bray and Botanic alike. With three points in the bag, this was a great way to start the rest of the season!