Tim strikes late to seal win for Bray
BRAY WANDERERS 3
DERRY CITY 2
LIGHTING struck twice at the Carlisle Grounds as Tim Clancy netted a late winner for Bray Wanderers against Derry City – just as he did the last time the sides clashed.
And just like in that fixture in McGinn Park, it was a delivery from Aaron Greene that the centre-half dispatched to earn his side a 3-2 success.
There were 81 minutes on the clock when Clancy struck but until then, it had looked like Bray Wanderers’ leaky defence would prove costly again as they allowed City to come from behind twice.
Darragh Noone and Ryan Brennan both gave the Seagulls the lead but replies from Ronan Curtis and Nathan Boyle cancelled them out.
John Sullivan’s suspension all but guaranteed a starting place for Darragh Noone and he made an early impression with a shot on target and a goal.
His curtain-raiser arose when Bray fired a free-kick crossfield for Lynch to ghost onto and head into the penalty area. It was cleared to the edge of the area and Noone’s snapshot was parried by Flood and scrambled away before Anto flood could pounce.
Noone’s starring scene arrived a minute later. Kevin Lynch whipped in a cross from the left and Noone was arriving into the penalty area but seemed to turn his back on it. Little did he know, his backside was about to open the scoring with a very cheeky effort.
With the league’s top goalscorer Seani Maguire set for a switch to Preston, Gary McCabe may have his eyes on the prize. He spurned a chance to add to his tally on 13 minutes.
He beat the offside trap on the right but was left facing a tight angle. He delayed his shot, hoping to force Doherty to blink first but the shot-stopper stood tall and blocked the strike behind.
Derry City seemed to still be on their mid-season break as they were completely limp for the opening 21 minutes at least. But then Nicky Low collected posses- sion 40 yards from goal and split the Bray defence with a pass that demanded to be converted – Ronan Curtis obliged as he opened up his body to curl home a low effort.
City thought they’d turned it around four minutes later as Daniels hurled himself at Barry McNamee’s cross to head it home but Michelle O’Neill’s offside flag put a slight dampener on the celebrations.
Anto Flood was working up a royal sweat to justify his inclusion in the starting line-up and a sumptuous piece of skill from the target man tempted Harry Monaghan into the foul that lead to Bray’s second.
McCabe drifted the free in from the left and Ryan Brennan was able to rise freely to glance home from six yards.
The message from Kenny at half time would undoubtedly have had a few mentions of defence but his failed to make it past two minutes of the second period before coughing up their lead.
Wanderers stood off Aaron McEniff momentarily but it was all the time he needed for a quick swivel before feeding Boyle. He shifted it into a shooting position immediately and fired a low strike past Cherrie’s despairing dive.
Clancy arrived onto the pitch in the 57th minute to spare the tiring legs of Derek Foran in a bid to shore up the defence. His telling contribution would come at the other end of the pitch though.
As it looked like the contest was embering down, Aaron Greene delivered a cross from the right. Conor Kenna flicked it on at the near post and it lead to a scramble which Clancy decided as he swept it over the line.
Nine minutes of normal time stood between Bray Wanderers and three precious, season-reenergising points. It was not all smooth sailing in that time.
Kenna had to clear one chance off the line and but for a breath-taking save from Cherrie to deny McEniff, Derry would have landed a third reply.
Instead it was Bray who landed three points.
Scorers - Bray Wanderers 3 (Noone 6, Brennan 43, Clancy 81), Derry City 2 (Curtis 22, Boyle 47):
Bray Wanderers: 1. Peter Cherrie; 2. Hugh Douglas, 5. Derek Foran, 4. Conor Kenna, 19. Kevin Lynch; 22. Darragh Noone,
8. Mark Salmon; 7. Ryan Brennan, 11. Gary McCabe, 9. Aaron Greene; 20. Anthony Flood. Subs: Tim Clancy for Foran (57); Jason Marks for Lynch (67); Karl Moore for Brennan (80). Not used: Lee Steacy, Ryan Robinson, Jamie Aherne, Ger Pender.
Derry City: 1. Gerard Doherty;
8. Harry Monaghan, 2. Conor McDermott, 30. Aaron Barry, 3. Dean Jarvis; 4. Aaron McEniff, 6. Nicky Low; 10. Josh Daniels, 7. Barry McNamee, 9. Ronan Curtis; 16. Nathan Boyle. Subs: Mark Timlin for Daniels (83); Ben Doherty for Monaghan (87). Not used: Rory Holden, Lucas Schubert, Eric Grimes, Rory Patterson, Scott Whiteside.
Referee: Robert Hennessey. Venue: Carlisle Grounds, Bray.