Sullivan grabs sweet winner
10-game losing steak ends
BRAY WANDERERS 2 DERRY CITY 1
BRAY WANDERERS ended their 10-match losing streak in style as John Sullivan headed home a 94th minute winner as Derry City’s miserable march towards the end of the season continued.
After eight game in charge, it was Gary Cronin’s first positive result for the Seagulls but there were few positives for the Candystripes on a Monday night by the seaside.
Shane McNamee almost marked his full debut with a stunning goal. Conor Kenna’s brave header cleared the ball to the edge of the area and McNamee tamed it before slamming it goalwards where it rattled the underside of the crossbar.
Darren Cole nodded in the rebound but a linesman’s flag cut his celebration short and referee Neil Doyle also ruled that the initial strike had not crossed the line.
City fans only had to wait another minute to have cause for celebration though.
Aidy Delap was harrying Sean Heaney back towards his own goal and the defender cheaply coughed up possession and was brutally punished as Delap squared for Dean Shiels to turn home his second goal for the Candystripes.
Jake Ellis thought he’d levelled matters on 23 minutes. Sean Harding’s cross from the right found Ellis unmarked and he looked to have done everything right as he cushioned his side-footed volley goalwards. His effort beat Eric Grimes but not Jamie McDonagh who somehow hurtled himself across the line to nod it away.
An equaliser would arrive by the 26th minute. Kevin Lynch floated in a peach of a delivery from a free kick and Heaney’s deft header looped into the corner to make amends for his role in the opener.
Moran was wrong-footed by Ronan Hale’s low shot before the interval and it looked to be trickling in but an outstretched leg from Paul O’Conor - who was charging in the opposite direction to the ball’s path - somehow turned it behind.
It was Moran who was performing heroics minutes before that when City defender Eoin Toal roamed forward and nutmegged an Bray defender whilst releasing Ronan Hale. The attacker’s effort was blocked by Moran who then recovered like a flash to pull off a superb reflex save to repel McNamee’s rebound.
Having almost set-up the second on that occasion, stand-in skipper Toal should have landed a second early in the second period when he towered above his man to meet McDonagh’s corner but his effort flew over.
Moran had a very shaky moment in the 63rd minute when Conor Kenna aimed a throw-in in his direction and the shot-stopper shanked his clearance behind his own goal.
There was to be no knock-on effect to Moran’s confidence though as he pulled off a string of superb saves to keep Derry City at bay.
A Shiels pass set Roy Ally free and his connection with the ball was firm but Moran parried it to safety.
With a quarter of an hour to play, Roy turned provider for Ronan Hale and he unleashed a snapshot that Moran - already diving the other way - managed to divert away from goal with his trailing leg.
On 80 minutes, City’s influential midfielder Aaron McEneff spanked an effort inches wide from the edge of the area and Jamie McDonagh was also on target then from 20 yards but he also found Moran in no mood to be beaten.
It looked like Bray would cling on for a point until a quick, searching pass found Ger Pender. With little or no support, he did well to buy a foul on the edge of the area. Sean Harding’s free kick was smartly tipped over by Grimes as the clock ticked 94.
Jake Kelly stepped up and swung it in from the right flank where Sullivan tracked the ball’s flight and applied the finishing touch. It may mean nothing on paper but try telling that to those Bray Wanderers players.
Bray Wanderers: 29. Evan Moran;
25. Cian Walsh, 4. Conor Kenna, 5. Sean Heaney, 3. Kevin Lynch; 31. Sean Harding, 6. Paul O’Conor, 8. John Sullivan,
22. Darragh Noone; 9. Ger Pender, 24. Jake Ellis. Subs: Jamie Crilly for Lynch (65); Rhys Gorman for Noone (80); Jake Kelly for Ellis (84). Not used: Enda Minogue, Dylan Hayes, Cian Maher, Dragos Mamaliga.
Derry City: 13. Eric Grimes; 7. Jamie McDonagh, 15. Eoin Toal, 20. Darren Cole, 29. Kevin McHattie; 33. Shane McNamee, 6. Aaron Splaine, 22. Dean Shiels, 27. Aidy Delap; 9. Ally Roy, 25. Ronan Hale. Subs: Aaron McEneff for McNamee (61); Ben Fisk for Delap (61); Rory Hale for Shiels (67). Not used: Nathan Gartside, Dan Seaborne, Gavin Peers, Nicky Low.
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Venue: Carlisle Grounds, Bray.