Leahy double rescues draw for Rovers in Bray
SLIGO Rovers came from behind twice to earn a point against high flyers Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday evening.
Aaron Greene fired Harry Kenny’s men ahead with just five minutes on the clock and Dylan Connolly restored the lead on 14 minutes following Mick Leahy’s 10th minute leveller.
Sligo travelled to the Seaside in 11th spot, dropped to 12th whilst behind but finished in 10th thanks to centre- half Leahy’s second of the evening just after the hour mark.
With illness ruling Gary McCabe out, last season’s top scorer – Ger Pender- was handed his first league start of the campaign.
And Pender proved his worth after five minutes.
Found with his back to goal 30 yards out, he briefly looked to have lost it but a neat roulette saw him grasp possession and he cleverly slipped it through for the on- rushing Aaron Greene who glided into the penalty area and steered a finish past the hapless Micheal Schlingermann.
A loose pass from Kevin Lynch was telegraphed by veteran Raffaele Cretaro on 10 minutes.
Mark Salmon may have turned his cross behind but it was from the resulting corner that Bray paid the penalty; Liam Martin’s deep in- swinger emphatically dispatched by Mick Leahy.
Bray took four minutes to restore their lead. A clever chip down the right flank saw Brennan break free of the shackles and he centred the ball to Dylan Connolly who timed his run well and hooked it to the net.
Greene and Pender almost enjoyed an encore of their double act in the 20th minute. Pender again showed his strength to hold off men before stroking it into Greene’s path but he didn’t get the chance to test Schlingermann as Leahy recovered to brilliantly take it off his toe.
Bray relied on Greene to spearhead their next attack too. The hosts seemed content to play patient football until Greene received it inside the centre circle and spotted a gap.
In the blink of an eye, he had zoomed past two Rovers men, played yet another give- and- go with Pender, however the attacker’s first touch was heavy and Schlingermann’s decision to race from his goal was justified.
A more expectant Ryan Brennan may have doubled Bray’s advantage on the stroke of half time.
Kevin Lynch tossed in a high, hanging cross from deep and with no obvious Bray target, Schlingermann came to intercept.
The late arrival of Brennan in the corner of his eye unnerved the shot- stopper though and the ball fell to Brennan but he could only deflect it back across goal where it would eventually be cleared.
Sligo Rovers were rock bottom of the table at the interval. Jonah Ayunga had an opportunity to change that as he crept in behind Kevin Lynch and latched onto Tobi Adebayo- Rowling’s wonderful chipped pass but Bray captain Conor Kenna intervened with a vital block.
A slip from Sligo defender Kyle McFadden presented Pender with an unexpected chance. He attempted to chip Schlingermann but the same faith saw him slip as he looked to execute.
Sligo drew level on 63 minutes. Sadlier escaped down the left flank but his cross was too strong. Cretaro chipped it back into the mixer and there, for some reason, was centre- half Mick Leahy to nod home from open play for his second of the evening.
Wanderers did not want to come up short in front of their own fans for the third match on the trot and they had the chances to halt their slide.
Bray almost hit the self- destruct button too. Buckley paused on the ball while Cherrie evacuated his goal to offer an option.
Sadlier then pickpocketed Buckley but he didn’t seem to realise the goal was at his mercy and when he did, his shot scuttled wide as Bray dashed back to cover.
Kenny’s side finished the strongest and twice thought they’d snatched it at the death.
First, Greene met Jason Marks’ cross but from just a few yards, he could not find the net with his header.
Finally, with the last throw of the dice and amongst a melee of bodies in the penalty area, Rovers somehow hooked the ball off the line as Wanderers thought they’d pinched all three points.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Keith Buckley, Tim Clancy, Conor Kenna, Kevin Lynch; John Sullivan, Mark Salmon; Ryan Brennan, Aaron Greene, Dylan Connolly; Ger Pender.
SUBS: Jason Marks for Lynch ( 80). Not used: Lee Steacy, Derek Foran, Derek Foran, Conor Earley, Karl Moore, Jamie Aherne.
Sligo Rovers: Micheal Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo- Rowling, Kyle McFadden, Mick Leahy, Regan Donelon; Gary Boylan; Jonah Ayunga, Craig Roddan, Liam Martin, Kieran Sadlier; Raffaele Cretaro.
SUBS: Mikey Place for Boylan ( 40). Not used: Martin Walsh, Mark Hannon, Shaun Patton, Chris Kenny, Seamus Sharkey.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.