Feel-good factor brought to a halt
at Carlisle Grounds
Daniel Kelly clearing the danger.
The Gypsies would lead within three minutes as the same pair combined again. Rhys Gorman got under the ball and his header went straight to Keith Ward. His peach of a cross was bravely met by Corcoran who poked it home.
Ward almost got on the end of a sumptuous assist when Dylan Watts’ sublime pass was a fraction too strong for Ward to tame and the chance went abegging.
Evan’s Moran heart was in his mouth momentarily in the 21st minute. Conor Kenna had a long ball from Bohs covered but ducked as his goalkeeper called it. Moran seemed surprised by Kenna’s action and had to scramble to gratefully catch the ball in his gloves.
Wanderers thought they had a route back into the tie on 23 minutes. McCabe’s well-weighted pass released Galvin on the left channel. The angle grew narrower and narrower as he progressed and just as he looked to pull the trigger, he was nudged by Danny Grant. Galvin flopped to the floor and was booked for simulation.
A measured cross from the left peg of Kevin Devaney saw pintsized Keith Ward throw himself at the ball for a diving header but Moran was equal to the effort.
Ward had his moment in the spotlight three minutes later. Supple’s goal kick was flicked on and Ward was in behind the Bray defence and had the composure and vision to execute a wonderful lob that floated over Moran’s head.
Out of nothing; Bray almost halved the deficit within five minutes as Galvin unleashed a thunderbolt from almost 30 yards that Supple helplessly watched thud back into play off his crossbar.
That strike was matched - if not bettered - by the impressive Dylan Watts. He broke up a bit of head tennis as he swooped in and tamed the ball on his chest before crashing a beautiful, serving shot off the top of Moran’s crossbar.
Between those treats, the Seagulls were left cursing Sean Grant again. Dan Kelly was holding up play as he awaited reinforcements. He cut through the penalty area to buy time and appeared to be bundled over but - like Galvin before him - Grant deemed it simulation.
The home side would win a penalty at the third time of asking. McCabe chipped over the top and Coughlan beat Supple to it - nodding the ball by him - before being caught by the shot-stopper. The fact that Coughlan was unlikely to reach the ball next was probably the reason why no card was produced.
Up stepped McCabe. He skied his last penalty against Limerick but displayed nerves of steel as he blasted to the top corner.
That would have completely changed the half-time team talks and Graham Kelly’s side were close to levelling five minutes into the second period. McCabe’s deep free looked to be headed back across goal by Heaney but it was looping into the far corner until Oscar Brennan unconventionally turned it over.
There were no more scares for Bohs against a Bray who - despite lots of possession and positive intent - never looked like mounting a comeback and Bohs put the tie to bed on 74 minutes as Stokes found the top corner from over 20 yards out.
29. Evan Moran;
16. Dan McKenna, 4. Conor Kenna, 5. Sean Heaney, 23. Andrew McGovern;
6. Paul O’Conor, 14. Rhys Gorman;
17. Daniel Kelly, 21. Gary McCabe,
7. Cory Galvin; 19. Ronan Coughlan. Subs: Ger Pender for Gorman (76). Not used: Adam Dempsey, Darragh Gibbons, Calvin Rogers, Cian Walsh, Dylan Hayes, Jake Ellis.
1. Shane Supple; 16. Keith Bu0ckley, 4. Dan Casey, 5. Rob Cornwall, 18. Ian Morris; 15. Oscar Brennan; 12. Danny Grant, 10. Keith Ward, 26. Dylan Watts, 11. Kevin Devaney; 9. Dinny Corcoran. Subs: Eoghan Stokes for Grant (68); Dan Byrne for Ward (73); Philip Gannon for Watts (88). Not used: Jamie Cleary, Patrick Kirk, Andy Lyons, JJ Lunney.
Sean Grant.
Bray Wanderers: Bohemians: Referee: