Gibbons off mark as Bray make monkeys of feeble Saints

DARRAGH GIBBONS scored a superb first goal for Bray Wanderers to help them on their way to a morale-boosting win against a disappointing St Patrick’s Athletic at the Carlisle Grounds.

In only his second start of the season, Gibbons initially won the ball off Ian Bermingham and galloped forward to play a one-two with Gary McCabe.

The 20-year-old right-back then showed impressive composure to crash his shot into the net and put Bray two up on 68 minutes, but they remain seven points adrift at the foot of the table.

St Pat’s lacked a cutting edge up front as they slumped to a third defeat on the spin.

Conan Byrne failed to punish a third minute howler by Bray keeper Evan Moran, shooting wide of an open goal.

Bray came right into the game and the visitors had a right let off on 40 minutes when Cory Galvin’s shot was hacked off the line by Lee Desmond.

Bray began the second half as they finished the first and went ahead on 54 minutes.

A mistake by Michael Leahy let Ger Pender in to shoot. And though Barry Murphy parried the effort, the loose ball was picked up by Galvin, who showed clever feet before blasting to the back of the net.

After Gibbons doubled the advantage, Thomas Byrne rounded Moran from substitute Christy Fagan’s through ball to slot home and give St Pat’s hope on 87 minutes.

But Bray added a third goal on 91 minutes. Murphy could only parry a Galvin shot and Daniel Kelly finished.

Byrne was then shown a straight red card for dissent deep into stoppage-time.