Report: Sligo Rovers 3-0 Bray Wanderers

Bray looked to extend their recent run of good form tonight in the Showgrounds against Sligo Rovers. Confidence was high in the Bray camp, after beating Drogheda last week and Shamrock Rovers the week before. A win for either side tonight would have seen them both jump up the table so, predictably, the scene was set for an exciting encounter in the Yeats’ County.

From the kick off, Sligo applied the pressure early on in this evening's game, and they deservedly opened the scoring on eight minutes with a header by Matthew Judge after Brian Cash contested a Raffael Cretaro cross into the Bray area with Bray keeper, Chris O'Connor. After Cash beat O'Connor in the air, Judge was left with the task of heading the ball into an empty net from very close range, which he duly obliged in doing.

Rovers continued to apply the pressure early in the first half when Anto Murphy shot low from thirty yards, which O'Connor saved comfortably. Fahurdrin Kudozovic had his first chance of the evening when he received a cross from Matthew Judge, after Kudozovic beat O'Connor, however, the ball was awkward and he could only manage to put the ball over the bar.

Sligo's superior passing play had the Bray defence scrambling. Brian Cash should have done better from a free kick move that came straight out of the training ground. For the free, Kudozovic played the played the ball to Judge at the edge of the D, Judge laid the ball off to Cash who broke the offside trap and had the opportunity to beat O'Connor, from just to the right of the six-yard box. He blazed the ball left of the far post however, leaving the score at 1-0. Towards the end of the first half, Bray forged their way back into the game; their only chance came from an Alan Cawley free kick on the 41st minute which was saved by Richard Brush.

Rovers scored once again within 10 minutes of the resumption of the second half, when Kudozovic played a nice one-two with Conor O'Grady in the Bray area. After O'Grady held the ball up for Kudozovic, O'Grady passed to the Bosnian and Kudozovic beat several players before beating Chris O'Connor in the Bray goal to put Sligo Rovers two nil up.

Alan Cawley provided Bray's first real chance of the game when he volleyed from outside the box to the left of Richard Brush's goal. However, on this occasion, Brush was equal to Cawley's shot. Bray's best chance of the game came in the 80th minute when Colm Tresson crossed to Derek Foran who shot low to Brush's right. Unfortunately for Bray, however, his effort hit the post.

After this Sligo pushed on and looked to kill the game off. Kudozovic and Feeney both had chances to put Rovers three up. It was Seamus Coleman's first goal of his Sligo Rovers’ career that eventually did give Sligo the three goal lead. The defender played a neat one-two with Kudozovic, who put Coleman clear with only the keeper to beat. Coleman applied a clinical finish with his left foot to end the game as a contest at 3-0. Bray pushed forward in order to try and peg one back after this. However, they opened themselves up defensively, and Sligo had even more chances very late on which could have left the score-line looking very one-sided.

Sligo now find themselves in the top 4 for the first time this season, while Bray will look to rebuild in time for next week's game against Cork City. They will need to improve on tonight's performance in order to beat the Leesiders. For Sligo though, all looks rosy. They passed the ball well, with Anto Murphy again being the engine and creative spark in the Sligo midfield.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Seamus Coleman, Danny Ventre, Gavin Peers, Mauro Almeida; Anto Murphy (Alan Moore 65), Conor O'Grady, Raffaele Cretaro, Brian Cash (Sean Doherty 83); Matthew Judge (Steve Feeney 65), Fahrudin Kuduzovic.
Subs not Used: Pat Jennings, Keith Foy.

Bray Wanderers: Chris O'Connor; Colm Tresson, Kevin Doherty, Derek Foran, Gary Cronin; Gavin Whelan, Derek Pender (Andy Myler 77), Alan Cawley, Gary McCabe (Emeka Onwubiko 61); Paddy Kavanagh, Ger Rowe.
Subs not Used: Gavin McInerney, Ronan Ivory, Ray Kenny.

Referee: Mark Gough.
Attendance: 1,800 (estimate)
Man of the Match: Anto Murphy (Sligo Rovers).