LOST LEAD IS LEAST OF BRAY WOES
THE week began with An Garda Síochána’s fraud squad visiting a Bray Wanderers training session and questioning the players about suspected match fixing.
Last night they threw away a 1-0 lead at home to Limerick and had to make do with a 1-1 draw after Chiedozie Ogebene netted a wondergoal to equalise.
Gary McCabe then had his 72nd-minute penalty expertly saved by Brendan Clarke, but the story here is about everything that happened before all that.
As the small band of Bray devotees drifted into the Carlisle Grounds there was only one topic of discussion.
All manner of theories were being bandied about, some mentioned betting syndicates from the capital, others laughed and made jokes about the attention the affair has brought upon this usually overlooked backwater of Irish football.
Events on the pitch were secondary to developments off it and Friday began with the FAI replying to PFA Ireland’s letter requesting details of the betting allegations made following the 5-0 friendly defeat to Waterford which sparked this latest controversy.
The Association were only able to confirm that the Gardaí were carrying out an investigation and would not divulge any further information. The story had grown legs by that point. On Tuesday, Bray players had been marched one by one into waiting squad cars and quizzed without a specific charge or allegation put to them.
It then emerged that Gardaí were not just interested in the Waterford friendly, but also raised doubts about four other competitive fixtures — the 2-0 defeat away to Elgin City in the IRN-BRU Cup, last month’s 21 league win over Drogheda United as well as the home games against Finn Harps (a 5-3 win in March and a 3-2 defeat in July).
This is understood to have come as a shock to the Bray squad, who were informed before last night not to discuss the matter with any media.
It’s the only talking point in the League of Ireland and until it is resolved adequately, a cloud will remain over this beleaguered club which, at one point, it was feared would not manage to reach the end of this season because of financial difficulties. Now they probably wish it does come to an end. There were European hopes at the start of this campaign but those dreams look distant.
Maybe if they had managed to hold on to the lead which Darragh Noone gave them in the 38th minute with a fine header they could have built momentum.
Instead, Ogbene’s sensational solo run — skinning Karl Moore for pace and jinking past Conor Kenna and Tim Clancy in the box before smashing a leftfooted shot past Peter Cherrie — earned the visitors a point.
Bray have much more to deal with right now.