Devlin delighted with double over Rovers

Speaking to Extratime.ie after Thursday night's victory over Shamrock Rovers, Bray Wanderers Director of Football Pat Devlin praised his side.

"We've done a great job. They did their stuff and I did my bits and it's really working out really well. All credit to the lads, they've worked very hard, they played very well. They got it down as much as they could. The conditions were dreadful. We created a lot of chances in the first half, we should have put them away. We went in at half-time and I said I was confident enough. Second half, we took a little bit of beating for a while but we came back really well and Jake took his goal really well."

Jake Kelly pulled up in the dying moments of the game and was one of three Wanderers players who went off injured in Thursday's game. Devlin explained the injuries received: "Unfortunately now, he [Kelly] is after tearing his hamstring. He'll be out for four to six weeks. Gary has a calf strain, doesn't look good either. Young Shields had a couple of stitches in his knee when he hit the wall so we're down to the bare bones now, that's the problem."

Bray's win means they remain the only team to beat Rovers in the league this season, which they have done twice and have not conceded in the process. Devlin felt his side deserved both victories, saying: "I think we have the Indian sign on them, there's no doubt. I think we have worked hard, I think we deserved it tonight. I think we deserved it in Tallaght, as well. It's one of those things, isn't it? Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but this year we seem to have the Indian sign over them. I wish we could play Rovers every week."

The three points point mean the Seagulls remain in seventh but are only three points off the top. Devlin explained his side's good season so far: "We have to adapt to what we've got. I mean Conor Murphy's away again tonight with the Irish team and Shane O'Neill is injured as well so I think the work we're doing and what we're getting, we're getting great value. The lads are terrific, there's a great team spirit there. People are looking for places and now opportunities are going to come up."

With three points separating the top seven, Devlin was asked it if he was surprised at this season's turn of events. He replied: "Not really, 'cause when you've played everyone a couple of times you sort of get engaged in it. You know, last week, we probably should have won in Derry, we definitely should have won in Dalymount. If you can go to Derry and Dalymount and be disappointed with not getting a win, then it's starting to tell you how well you've been doing and where you're going but it also tells you that there's not a lot between all the teams. I think what might happen is if we hadn't have beaten Rovers tonight and they had won, they would start to pull away so I think it's been good for the league. It keeps it tight, keeps it exciting and when you can go to the third series of games, that's when you really have to be on your guard."

Wanderers next game is a trip to Drogheda but Devlin is not ready to take a result for granted: "Going to Drogheda is going to be difficult, they got their first win tonight so there really isn't a lot between the teams, you know, and even, I know this sounds bad but, we're still looking down the table and saying 'We don't want to be down there'. You know, where we are now is fine and we're enjoying the attention."

When asked about the possibility of bringing more players in, Devlin responded with blunt honesty: "I'd love to tell you a little white lie and say 'We're going to be busy, we're going to do this, we're going to do that' but the reality is we're here on a shoestring, make no mistake about it. I've been out the last week at a few Leinster Senior League games and we've a few players looking at players. We might be able to get a player or two in. I'd love to have the budget to say 'I'll go over and get four players and give it a real bash'. We just don't have the finances. Therefore, we just have to get on with what we have and pick up a few young lads and blood them. We've got some very good players in the A Team and they're unbeaten in the league. With all these injuries, one or two of them are going to be getting an opportunity and we're looking forward to giving them because they're very good players."