Inspiring point on a new dawn
IT was another new dawn and new day for Bray Wanderers as permanent life under Harry Kenny began with an inspiring point.
Wanderers floated off the foot of the table as fortress Showgrounds wobbled on a night where both sides had valid claims for all three points.
Sligo Rovers had won their last four fixtures at the Connact venue but the Seagulls stifled their advances and travelled east wondering what a difference a regular goalscorer would make.
This was Bray’s second stalemate on the spin following the 0-0 dud against Longford Town prior to the mid-season break.
With midfielder Robbie Creevy retiring from League of Ireland football, Kenny took the opportunity to rejig his troops and he sent them out in an experimental 4-3-3 formation which posed plenty of questions to Friday’s hosts.
It was a night of extremely tight margins that saw two extremely well-drilled outfits duke it out.
Rovers’ Johnny Russell registered the first attempt of the evening with four minutes played but his strike from distance didn’t cause Peter Cherrie to break into a sweat.
Bray’s form player, Dylan Connolly – who featured on the left of the attacking trident – abandoned the left flank momentarily to swerve inside and unleash a shot of his own but again, it prompted little fuss for goalkeeper Micheal Schlingermann.
Russell turned creator on 34 minutes as his cross found Jimmy Keohane but he couldn’t test Cherrie with his header. Shortly afterwards, a half-volley from Russell failed to find the target from the edge of the area.
That was the sum total of their efforts in the first half with both goalkeepers far from over-worked, only making one routine save apiece.
Sligo wanted to keep the home fans happy and emerged with more energy in the opening stages of the second period. Keohane’s low attempt at goal meant a diving save was required from Cherrie to keep his clean sheet intact.
Moments later, Sligo right-back Olutobi Adebayo-Rowling fed Sadlier who tried his luck but put his effort the wrong side of the post.
Wanderers midfield maestro Ryan Brennan almost beat Schlingermann in the 56th minute but the shot-stopper pulled off a smart save and Andrew Lewis was off target with the rebound.
Two Bray defenders failed to stop Liam Martin before his drilled effort cleared the crossbar on the hour mark.
A decent free kick opportunity saw Sadlier unable to beat the wall and next in line at the shooting gallery was ex-Liverpool academy man Craig Roddan but his strike drew a safe pair of hands from Cherrie who was determind to land a second clean sheet on the trot for the first time this campaign.
It was far from a case of settling for a point for the Seagulls. A bending effort from Connolly had Sligo hearts in mouths until it was clawed away by Schlingermann.
It was an innocuous clash that somehow produced 10 yellow cards but the most important statistic – as always – was the goals and with neither side capable of conjuring any, they took a point apiece.
That result will please Bray Wanderers far more than Sligo as it allowed them to kiss goodbye to bottom spot. And they can gallop away from the foot of the table on Saturday with a victory over 10th placed Wexford Youths.
Sligo Rovers: 1. Micheal Schlingermann; 2. Olutobi Adebayo-Rowling, 14. Gary Boylan, 4. Michael Leahy, 3. Regan Donelon; 17. Jimmy Keohane, 8. Craig Roddan, 18. John Russell, 11. Kieran Sadlier, 12. Jordan Richards; 27. Liam Martin. Subs: Philip Roberts for Martin (69); Jaanai Gordon for Sadlier (80). Not used: Ciaran Nugent, Tim Clancy, Chris Lyons, Gary Armstrong, Michael Place.
Bray Wanderers: 1. Peter Cherrie; 2. Hugh Douglas, 5. Alan McNally, 4. Conor Kenna, 24. Sean Harding; 10. Karl Moore, 8. Mark Salmon, 7. Ryan Brennan; 23. Gareth McDonagh, 18. Andrew Lewis, 16. Dylan Connolly. Subs: Dean Kelly for Lewis (78). Not used: Aaron Shanahan, Alan Byrne, Daniel Blackbyrne, Jason Marks, Kieran Butler, Ger Pender. Referee: Ray Matthews. Venue: The Showgrounds, Sligo.