Wanderers in control

FRIDAY evening could not have gone much better for Bray Wanderers and Gary Cronin as they boldly declared themselves in the title race with a dominant performance over league leaders Cabinteely.

Derek Daly netted the opener on the half hour mark and the Seagulls rode a brief storm before turning on the style with two late goals from Gary Shaw and Darragh Lynch to stamp their authority on this title race.

Both sides opted to play a 4-4-11 formation and after just four minutes of action, Pat Devlin instructed Cabo midfielder Eoin Massey to pick up Ryan Graydon; the man occupying Bray’s ‘free’ role.

It was a quiet opening but not for the referee who handed out three yellow cards by the 18th minute in what was a very sporting contest albeit with a few biting tackles.

Eleven minutes had passed before either net-minder was called into action. The first on the frontline was Brian Maher as he made a routine save to hold Paul Fox’s cross/shot from the left flank.

Another 11 minutes later, Bray could have broken the deadlock. Derek Daly fizzed a pass down the left flank for Gary Shaw and he put in the hard yards to get there ahead of his man. He cut it back for Sean McEvoy who tried a toepoke to deceive Corey Chambers but there was little power on the effort and the Cabo custodian was unruffled.

Bray threatened again on 27 minutes as Dylan Barnett’s corner kick found Graydon unmarked eight yards from goal.

He connected well with his header and had probably already commenced celebrating in his head before Chambers flung himself at it and somehow scooped it off the line.

That corner kick was a gift to Bray following some miscommunication in the visiting defence when Shaw’s running caused trouble and the stand-in skipper was a thorn in their side again for the opener.

In truth, Shaw had little right to win the ball on the right flank but the Cabo defence seemed reluctant to tackle him and this allowed him to deliver a low cross. Graydon stepped over it and Daly took a touch before rifling it into the top corner.

It was almost double delight for Gary Cronin when a quick free kick was fired down the righthand channel for Graydon who excellent rolled his man as Cabo were caught cold. He tried to find the feet of Shaw with a low cross who was tackled. Bray wanted a penalty. Alan Patchell awarded a corner.

Tristan Noack Hoffman became the fifth man in the book before the interval and Shaw managed to squeeze in one more bit of torment before the break.

He and Lotefa were jostling at the back post as Barnett took aim with a flag kick; Shaw won the battle but from the tight angle, he could only find the side netting.

After seven minutes of the second half, Bray legend Pat Devlin - now in the Cabo dugout - decided to switch things up and attacking midfielder Alex Aspil was sacrificed for Luke Clucas as they went two up top. This did spark a spell of dominance for the visitors.

A cross from Enniskerry man Daniel Blackbyne found its way through to Keith Dalton 12 yards out but the Newtown man was denied by a superb stop from Brian Maher.

With Cabo almost camping in the Bray half, Thompson’s pace inevitably created a chance for him as he seared down the left flank but Chambers stood tall to block the Greystones man’s effort.

An even more blistering run from Thompson on 63 minutes saw him skip by two helpless defenders before finding Graydon in the area. He laid it back to McEvoy and his daisy-cutter required two saves from Chambers.

A Cabo corner in the 73rd minute very nearly produced the leveller. Paul Fox’s delivery was nodded down and Shane Byrne’s snapshot drew an outrageous save from Maher. It was then cleared out to the flank where Luke Clucas’ cross very nearly deceived Maher who tipped it over at the very last moment.

With Cabo failing to take their chances when they fell to them, Cronin’s charges punished them. Thompson didn’t have to turn on the afterburners as his low cross on 76 minutes found Shaw all alone at the back post and his side-footed effort found the net despite the best efforts of the covering defender on the line.

And the victory became all the sweeter two minutes from the end of normal time.

Barnett cleared a Cabo cross and found Shaw, he released Lynch who was adjudged to be offside and the 17-year-old rolled home his third goal for Wanderers

to fire them right back into the title race.