Sadlier goal knocks out the Seagulls
BRAY WANDERERS CORK CITY 0 1
KIERAN Sadlier was both the villain and the hero of the piece as he kept Cork City’s double dream alive.
The mazy attacker spurned a 57th minute penalty but almost immediately atoned as his smart finish two minutes later saw the Leesiders negotiate their way past a tricky tie at the Carlisle Grounds.
The hosts muddled away throughout and battled keenly but never troubled Mark McNulty.
Karl Sheppard spurned couple of decent chances in the first period but Sadlier had the first real opportunity of the tie from 12 yards on 56 minutes.
An insightful one-two between Shane Griffin and Sadlier saw the former swerve past Tim Clancy and Aaron Greene, in his over-eagerness to chip in defensively, flew into a tackle and conceded a penalty.
Sadlier stepped up and struck it to Steacy’s right but that’s exactly where the shot-stopper had gambled to dive and he made the save.
The winger only had to wait two minutes to atone for his error though.
Griffin took a throw-in from the left and Cork executed some quick passing around the edge of the area to free Sadlier. He curled a lovely finish beyond Steacy to hand his side the lead.
Conor Kenna breathed an audible sigh of relief after eight minutes when he escaped punishment for a horrendous back-pass.
A quick ball over the top was released to find Karl Sheppard. Kenna tried to cut it out and feed it back to Lee Steacy but it was criminally undercooked and Sheppard was in – until he was flagged offside from the initial pass.
The hosts continuously bombarded City with crosses but on too many occasions they were aimless.
Karl Moore’s 12th minute attempt landed on the forehead of Ryan Brennan and his flick saw the ball drop a yard wide of the far post. City had barely had a look in up to this point but they should have got their noses in front in the 17th minute.
Kieran Sadlier, who tormented Bray on his side’s last visit to the Carlisle Grounds, stormed down the left flank and picked out Sheppard with his low cross.
Sheppard met it with a sweeping finish but it trickled inches wide of Steacy’s far post.
Wanderers almost became the architects of their own downfall when Darragh Noone hastily conceded possession.
City reacted swiftly and release Sheppard. The angle is tight but he backs himself and hammers a low shot across the face of goal.
Garry Buckley was City’s most impressive performer and a typical driving run from the midfielder saw him cleverly Sheppard.
The attacker was on the move and opted to strike it first time but it was straight at Steacy and he showed a safe pair of hands with a clean catch.
Harry Kenny almost had the perfect ending to the first half as a half-clearance from City was pounced on by Brennan and he took all inside the seaside venue by surprise as he fizzed it viciously goalwards but it zipped wide.
Moments earlier, a deep cross from Mark Salmon was added to by Brennan. It looped over Mark McNulty but landed on the roof of the net.
Bray had shaded matters in the first half but lacked the creative spark that would be provided by Gary McCabe and barring a few moments, they had kept Cork City muzzled for the first period.
City then missed a penalty before taking the lead within two minutes.
They should have put the tie to bed with 21 minutes remaining. Steacy emerged from goal to claim a cross and failed to do so.
The ball then dropped at Achille Campion’s feet and a bemused Conor Kenna – stood on the line – was the only hope Bray had of keeping it at 0-1. Campion blasted straight at Kenna and the tie lived on.
Wanderers had thrown on all three subs – Ger Pender, Gary McCabe and Kevin Lynch – but it was to no avail.
Bray’s search for a third cup triumph will stretch to its 19th year and all the Seagulls have left now is eight league games.
With nine points all that keeps Kenny’s men above the relegation zone though, there is still plenty left to keep the Co. Wicklow club on their toes.