Season Preview 2016 - Bray Wanderers

Season Preview 2016 - Bray Wanderers

Manager: Mick Cooke

Stadium: The Carlisle Grounds

Players in: Ryan Brennan (Shamrock Rovers), Alan Byrne (Drogheda United), Dylan Connolly (Ipswich Town), Robbie Creevy (Bohemians)
Mick Daly (Drogheda United), Conor Earley (Shelbourne), Paul Finnegan (Dundalk), Sean Harding (Limerick), Dean Kelly (Longford Town), Drew Lewis (Burscough), Conor Kenna (Shamrock Rovers), Jason Marks (Drogheda United), Karl Moore (Bohemians), Curtis Murphy (Shamrock Rovers), Ger Pender (Drogheda United), Mark Salmon (Longford Town), Aaron Shanahan (Warrenpoint Town)

Players Out: Brian Kane (Released), Stephen McGuinness (Drogheda United), Thomas Walsh (Released), Michael Barker (St. Pats), Jack Memery (Released), Daniel O’Reilly (Longford Town), Adam Mitchell (O'Devany Dunard), Niall Cooney (Drogheda United), Oscar Brennan (Cabinteely), David Scully (Finn Harps), David Cassidy (Athlone Town), Ryan McEvoy (Released), Adam Hanlon (Finn Harps), Peter McGlynn (Longford Town), Luke Gallagher (Drogheda United), John Sullivan (Galway United), James O’Donnell (Released), Graham Kelly (St. Pats), Peter Durrad (Released), Chris Lyons (Sligo Rovers), Emeka Onuwubiko (Athlone Town), Sean Houston (Finn Haprs)

 

Extratime.ie Key Man: Hugh Douglas

Defender Douglas won the Player of the Year award last year and the local boy will be looking to follow up last season with more stellar performances at the back for Bray. An overlapping full-back who likes to get forward, Douglas provides a much needed attacking outlet for Bray as quite often they spent large periods without the ball last season. The second half of 2015 was much better for The Seagulls and Hugh Douglas was integral to that revival.

Extratime.ie One to Watch: Drew Lewis

Striker Lewis arrives from Merseyside on the Wicklow coast with plenty of pedigree. He has had trials with Manchester United following an impressive run with Southport’s under-21 side where he scored 30 goals in 14 games. Having not quite made it through the ranks at Tranmere Rovers he opted for England’s notoriously unforgiving non-league scene and that experience should stand him in good stead to make an impact up front at the Carlisle Grounds.

How they did last season:

League: 8th

FAI Cup: Semi-finalists

EA Sports Cup: 1^st round

What to expect this season:

Bray: a trip to the seaside, a walk on the prom, a ride on the helter-skelter, a ride on the dodgems and ice-cream by the shore. Last season, Bray Wanderers gave their supporters the full spectrum of emotions in what was truly a white-knuckle ride on and off the field.

This season, rather than dodging relegation, Bray will be looking upwards and hoping to consolidate the mid-table security they found in the dust of their managerial merry-go-round through Mick Cooke. They may even have another crack at the FAI Cup, which nearly provided the flake and sprinkles on their end of season ice-cream. That their 2015 season turned out to be so steady and so nearly led to an FAI Cup final appearance was somewhat astounding but the off-season has seen them consolidate that with good work on and off the field.

Crucially, manager Mick Cooke stuck around and a good deal with St. Joseph’s Boys FC has finally seen some of the work off the field that has long been talked about come to fruition. With much needed stability now in clear view at the Carlisle Grounds I predict a comfortable mid-table finish for the Wicklow men.

League title odds: 66/1

First game: Dundalk (Carlisle Grounds), Saturday 5^th March, 7.30pm.