GAP CLOSES TO SIX
Draw sees Seagulls claw ever closer to Limerick
BRAY WANDERERS WATERFORD FC 0 0
IT was another evening to forgot by the seaside for Waterford FC as they dropped another two points at the Carlisle Grounds.
An injury time penalty from Gary McCabe rescued a point for Bray in May but a scoreless draw on Friday night means it’s four points left behind in Co. Wicklow for the Blues.
The only thing that Wanderers care about though is the fact that they clawed Limerick a point closer and the gap between 10th and ninth is now six points.
Both sides were a tad toothless in front of goal and can have few complaints about the result which suits the Seagulls far more than Waterford.
Dan Kelly did come close to bagging a ridiculous late winner as he sent an effort whizzing across the face of goal from 25 yards but it whistled inches wide.
With Conor Kenna and Gary McCabe suspended and half the squad struck down by injury, new signings Sean Harding and Craig Walsh were flung straight into the starting line-up.
Cory Galvin’s lightning quick feet allowed him to slalom past three Waterford men and enter the penalty area but his low cross failed to find a team-mate.
Wanderers raided down the left again when Kevin Lynch fizzed a fine pass for Dan McKenna. The Wolves man shifted it inside to Ronan Coughlan who laid it back to Craig Walsh but his strike sailed over the bar.
Matthew Connor was forced into the first save of the evening on 18 minutes. Galvin allowed Lynch’s throw-in to roll across his body and he caught it sweetly on the half-volley but Connor leapt to his right and he turned it behind.
There was a nervy moment for Evan Moran when he declined to clear and instead tried to pass to a colleague.
His attempt only find Akinade who squared it for Duffus but he was denied by a brilliant block from Rhys Gorman.
That block by Gorman was 100 per cent legal but Cory Galvin felt the block that took the sting out of his 40th minute strike was illegal but referee Robert Hennessy saw no handball.
Waterford’s defence failed to spot the run of Craig Walsh on the stroke of half time but McKenna noticed and picked him out. Walsh side-stepped Connor in the sixyard box but the angle was so tight that he couldn’t shoot. Waterford survived that moment but from the next phase, Ronan Coughlan’s cross was deflected by Bastien Hery and very nearly flew into the Waterford net.
Duffus stung Moran’s fingertips when he cut in off the left and let fly. Moran spilled the strike but a defender hacked clear before Akinade could pounce.
Both sides spurned their best chances of the tie within 60 seconds of each other. Dan Kelly galloped clear down the right for Bray and knocked it into the middle for Coughlan but he fired meekly straight at Connor.
At the other end, John Martin released Akinade who had a defender breathing down his neck and perhaps that played a part as he drilled over.
Waterford fans groaned as every cross or searching pass failed to finds its mark late on but the Bray fans knew they were edging towards another crucial point on their road to recovery.
The home fans watched through their fingers in the closing minutes as Sean Harding stuck a foot in on Derek Daly in the penalty area. Harding didn’t appear to play the ball and Daly crashed to the floor but there wasn’t to be late spot kick drama this time around.
Bray will now hope to be able to welcome back a few of their walking wounded after the mid-season break for the behemoth visit to Limerick which could make or break their season.
29. Evan Moran;
31. Sean Harding, 14. Rhys Gorman,
5. Sean Heaney, 3. Kevin Lynch; 6. Paul O’Conor, 16. Dan McKenna; 17. Daniel Kelly, 32. Craig Walsh, 7. Cory Galvin; 19. Ronan Coughlan.
1. Matthew Connor;
19. Dylan Barnett, 16. Rory Feely, 5. Kenny Browne, 11. Derek Daly; 21. Bastien Hery; 12. John Martin, 7. Sander Puri; 8. Gavan Holohan; 9. Courtney Duffus, 24. Ismahil Akinade.
Robert Hennessy.