Barry picks a perfect time to score his first goal

CAPTAIN Aaron Barry picked the perfect time to find his first Bray Wanderers goal as he headed Bray Wanderers closer to the promised land.

His second-half winner handed the Seagulls a five-point cushion over the third placed side and guaranteed that they’d be in pole position for when Drogheda come to town on Friday night.

Joe Doyle had nodded Bray ahead on his first start since returning from injury but Charlie Lyons levelled matters before the break.

Arklow man Barry was the toast of the Carlisle Grounds though when he powered home a header from a Dylan Barnett corner shortly after the hour mark.

The confidence from Friday evening’s superb victory over Longford Town seemed to be still chorusing through Bray veins after three minutes when Cobh failed to deal with a cross from Bray’s right and Ryan Graydon should have done better than skying his half-volley.

One man who really shone against De Town was Jack Watson and his mesmerising footwork earned him a free in the 15th minute. He clipped it into the area and it was met by Shaw who saw his downward header come off the foot of the post and his follow-up was blocked too.

Callum Thompson and Joe Doyle combined well on the right flank for Bray and the latter’s pinpoint cross presented a chance to

Graydon but he seemed to slice his effort and it floated wide.

At the other end, a corner from Cobh tempted Brian Maher to come and claim. This has been one of his many good habits in recent times but he seemed to misjudge this one and slipped but thankfully for him, the Cobh attacker failed to hit the target with his header.

A clever turn from Dave Hurley earned him enough space to try his luck and his curler had Maher looking a tad worried before it sailed wide.

Bray hit the front on 40 minutes as Barnett delivered a corner from the right and Doye flicked it home at the near post.

But the feelgood factor was short-lived. Three minutes later, Hurley swung in an excellent free kick and Charlie Lyons was able to poke it past Maher with Bray’s marking lacking on that occasion.

Luka Lovic thought he might be clean through on goal five minutes into the second period but he was beaten to the ball by Sean Barron and received a yellow card after catching the goalkeeper with a late challenge.

Perhaps spurned on by winning that race, Barron charged out of his box to try and cut off a pass to Joe Doyle but the Bray attacker got there first. He tried to curl into the net from a difficult angle but his effort dropped onto the roof of the net.

Another fantastic set-piece delivery from Hurley put Maher under pressure and Cobh cursed their luck as it was deflected behind for another corner.

With an assist already to his name, Dylan Barnett added another one to his highlight reel when his cross was powerfully met by Aaron Barry for his first goal as a Seagull.

Minutes earlier, Cantwell had gone close from another Barnett corner.

Cobh will be very frustrated to have come undone from two corners and they almost gained parity after a sweeping attack which ended in Naythan Coleman’s 15-yard strike taking a clip off a Bray defender but Maher adjusted brilliantly to save.

Shaw’s tireless efforts saw him chase down and block a Barron clearance but he did not get the rub of the green as the ball flew behind having struck him.

Wanderers had three glorious chances to wrap things up late on (and add to their goal difference).

Joe Doyle created the first as he got to the byline and lifted it to Daly who had a free header six out but aimed it straight at Barron.

Graydon then raced unmarked into the area and had Lynch to his right but opted to dink it over Barron but it drifted wide.

Daly hoped to show Graydon how to do it moments later but he was denied by a fantastic save from Barron.

Sean Barron; John Kavanagh, Stephen O’Leary, Charlie Lyons, Lee Devitt; Darryl Walsh, Pierce Phillips, Darragh Crowley, Naythan Coleman, Dave Hurley; Greg Henry. Subs: Conor Drinan for O’Leary (75); Christopher Reilly for Devitt (81). Not used: Ryan, Taylor, Crowley, Coughlan, Turner.

Brian Maher; John Ross Wilson, Killian Cantwell, Aaron Barry, Dylan Barnett; Callum Thompson, Luka Lovic, Jack Watson, Ryan Graydon; Joe Doyle; Gary Shaw. Subs: Paul Keegan for Watson (72); Derek Daly for Thompson (81); Darragh Lynch for Shaw (81). Not used: Adam Hayden, Tristan Noack Hoffman, Cian Maher, Marlon Marishta.

REFEREE: Oliver Moran.