Waterford United 2 – 2 Bray Wanderers
Credit:
Waterford United and Bray Wanderers played out a 2-2 pre-season friendly draw at the RSC on Saturday afternoon as both clubs continued preparation for their respective league campaigns.
As the Premier Division side the visitors would have been expected to have taken the game to their hosts, but nobody was quite prepared for the stunning start to the match, as a Gary Dempsey pass split the Blues defence and John Mulroy raced goalwards to lift the ball past the exposed Josh Byrne inside 15 seconds. Two minutes later Bray were almost in again, Daire Doyle crossing for Chris Shields but the header flew just wide and was taken from an offside position in any case.
The initial onslaught weathered, United got back on terms with a goal of real quality. Neat play in the middle of the park set up Dwayne Wilson to whip in a superb cross from the right which was met with an unstoppable diving header by Michael Rafter for his first Blues goal.
Thereafter the game settled down into a probing, cagey affair, but Wilson almost turned provider again on 28 minutes, his right wing free kick perfectly weighted for Conor Sinnott to ghost in through the Bray backline, only to volley well over the top.
Bray finished the half strongly though. Shields’ goalbound 38th minute volley required a brave block from David Breen, with Jake Kelly firing into the left side netting from the breakdown, and just before the break Dane Massey strode forward from full back to fire a 30-yard effort across the face of goal, close enough to have Byrne concerned, but it remained all square as the teams went into the interval.
The restart saw United hit the ground running, with Paul Murphy forcing a fine low save from sub keeper Brian Kane inside a minute. The Wexford man then set up what probably should have been the lead goal, breaking clear down the left and squaring superbly for Gary Keane who took a steadying touch but drove it low a foot wide of the left post from 15 yards.
Conor Sinnott was next to try his luck, a well-struck 30-yard free kick forcing Kane to turn around his right post, and moments later the busy Bray keeper had to get down quickly to smother at the feet of Michael Rafter as Keane flicked Murphy’s cross into his path.
The lead finally came on 75 minutes, when Sinnott slipped a neat ball through the centre for Keane to run on to and flicked past the advancing Kane from just outside the area. But within ten minutes the visitors had restored parity from the spot, albeit in contentious circumstances.
Moments earlier Gary Dempsey drove a super free-kick against the left upright, and Byrne produced a wonderful point-blank save from Kieran Waters’ close-range volley. But when Dempsey again was given a chance from the dead ball, he drove the free kick into the United wall, and referee Jim McKell adjudged Sinnott to have handled. Jake Kelly slotted home low to his left, under Byrne’s dive.
The Blues strove for an instant reply from the restart, with Murphy firing across the face of goal, and the flailing keeper, but inches wide. But despite losing a lead late on, the home side will be more than pleased with their days work.
Waterford United: Josh Byrne; Seamus Long (Brian Nolan 77), Kenny Browne, David Breen, Lee Chin (Michael Coady 45); Dwayne Wilson (Gary Keane 45), Shane Barrett (Shane Dempsey 45), Conor Sinnott, Keith Quinn; Michael Rafter (Gary Dunphy 72), Paul Murphy.
Booked: Breen, Quinn, Sinnott.
Bray Wanderers: Matt Gregg (Brian Kane 45); David Webster (Stephen Brennan 45), Adam Mitchell (David Tyrell 54), Derek Prendergast (Nicky Byrne 45), Dane Massey (Joe Kendrick 45); Daire Doyle (Danny O’Connor 45), Gary Dempsey, Graham Kelly (Colm Tresson 84), Jake Kelly; Chris Shields, John Mulroy (Kieran Waters 45)
Booked: None
Referee: Jim McKell (Tipperary)
(With thanks to John Keogh/Waterford United - www.waterford-united.ie )
As the Premier Division side the visitors would have been expected to have taken the game to their hosts, but nobody was quite prepared for the stunning start to the match, as a Gary Dempsey pass split the Blues defence and John Mulroy raced goalwards to lift the ball past the exposed Josh Byrne inside 15 seconds. Two minutes later Bray were almost in again, Daire Doyle crossing for Chris Shields but the header flew just wide and was taken from an offside position in any case.
The initial onslaught weathered, United got back on terms with a goal of real quality. Neat play in the middle of the park set up Dwayne Wilson to whip in a superb cross from the right which was met with an unstoppable diving header by Michael Rafter for his first Blues goal.
Thereafter the game settled down into a probing, cagey affair, but Wilson almost turned provider again on 28 minutes, his right wing free kick perfectly weighted for Conor Sinnott to ghost in through the Bray backline, only to volley well over the top.
Bray finished the half strongly though. Shields’ goalbound 38th minute volley required a brave block from David Breen, with Jake Kelly firing into the left side netting from the breakdown, and just before the break Dane Massey strode forward from full back to fire a 30-yard effort across the face of goal, close enough to have Byrne concerned, but it remained all square as the teams went into the interval.
The restart saw United hit the ground running, with Paul Murphy forcing a fine low save from sub keeper Brian Kane inside a minute. The Wexford man then set up what probably should have been the lead goal, breaking clear down the left and squaring superbly for Gary Keane who took a steadying touch but drove it low a foot wide of the left post from 15 yards.
Conor Sinnott was next to try his luck, a well-struck 30-yard free kick forcing Kane to turn around his right post, and moments later the busy Bray keeper had to get down quickly to smother at the feet of Michael Rafter as Keane flicked Murphy’s cross into his path.
The lead finally came on 75 minutes, when Sinnott slipped a neat ball through the centre for Keane to run on to and flicked past the advancing Kane from just outside the area. But within ten minutes the visitors had restored parity from the spot, albeit in contentious circumstances.
Moments earlier Gary Dempsey drove a super free-kick against the left upright, and Byrne produced a wonderful point-blank save from Kieran Waters’ close-range volley. But when Dempsey again was given a chance from the dead ball, he drove the free kick into the United wall, and referee Jim McKell adjudged Sinnott to have handled. Jake Kelly slotted home low to his left, under Byrne’s dive.
The Blues strove for an instant reply from the restart, with Murphy firing across the face of goal, and the flailing keeper, but inches wide. But despite losing a lead late on, the home side will be more than pleased with their days work.
Waterford United: Josh Byrne; Seamus Long (Brian Nolan 77), Kenny Browne, David Breen, Lee Chin (Michael Coady 45); Dwayne Wilson (Gary Keane 45), Shane Barrett (Shane Dempsey 45), Conor Sinnott, Keith Quinn; Michael Rafter (Gary Dunphy 72), Paul Murphy.
Booked: Breen, Quinn, Sinnott.
Bray Wanderers: Matt Gregg (Brian Kane 45); David Webster (Stephen Brennan 45), Adam Mitchell (David Tyrell 54), Derek Prendergast (Nicky Byrne 45), Dane Massey (Joe Kendrick 45); Daire Doyle (Danny O’Connor 45), Gary Dempsey, Graham Kelly (Colm Tresson 84), Jake Kelly; Chris Shields, John Mulroy (Kieran Waters 45)
Booked: None
Referee: Jim McKell (Tipperary)
(With thanks to John Keogh/Waterford United - www.waterford-united.ie )
About Brendan White
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