Confidence is high in Bray
AS A carpenter, Dave Scully is well used to putting things together. Goals, however, are not something he has been known for constructing.
His time at Bohemians saw him manage two league goals in 37 attempts. While at the Carlisle Grounds, he’s produced four goals in just nine appearances.
But it is not just him enjoying a renaissance. The entire Bray team are, and Scully is full of confidence about his team-mates and his own performances.
“It’s been coming. We’ve been playing well. Against Shamrock Rovers we could have even got a draw. We’ve been playing well.
“We should’ve beaten Derry comfortably, UCD we should’ve won as well and Bohs with the 10 men; we should’ve beaten them too so we should be well up there.
“Confidence brings goals. I was playing as a lone frontman at Bohs. When I was playing there, I was coming out of the house thinking ‘am I even gonna get a shot?’ because I was on my own up front but Alan has me playing right wing and I’ve taken to it comfortably. You can go up front or you can go left wing, he just wants you to express yourself.”
Scully’s time at Dalymount Park was not a happy one overall and he parted ways with the Gypsies at the end of last season. He dropped out of League of Ireland football briefly and since then his fortunes have improved drastically.
And since the start of the season, the Seagulls fortunes have improved also.
“I was released and went to Ballymun (United) because I’d bought an apartment up there with my wife.
“I didn’t play the last few games with Bohemians so I just wanted to keep ticking over because I knew Alan (Mathews) was onto me and I’d got a new job. Owen (Heary, Bohemians manager) asked me to join back as well but it’s kind of full time up there and I couldn’t commit to it because I’d got a full time job.
“Against Bohs in the Leinster Senior Cup we got beaten and we’d only been put together but you can see as the games went on, we were improving each game. Alan told us to keep our heads down and keep doing what you’re doing.”
With pointless Athlone Town next up, you’d think Scully would be relishing the opportunity.
Although very wary of the challenges Friday can bring, he shows a ruthless side; something needed by any decent goalscorer.
“We can’t be going down thinking we’re going to win. If we go out with that attitude, they could turn us over.
“You feel sorry for the lads at Athlone that they haven’t got a point yet but we’ll go down and we’ll keep standing on them because that’s the way it is; football’s a cruel game.”