Bray Wanderers 1-0 Kildare County

Bray Wanderers finished their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 win over Kildare County at the Carlisle Grounds with Gavin Whelan scoring the only goal.

Whelan slotted home from inside the box in the 12th minute after being set up by Alan Cawley following good work down the left wing by Derek Pender. The midfielder side-footed past keeper Charlie Treacy into the bottom-right corner from 12 yards out.

This was the final pre-season friendly for both sides before next weekend’s season kick-off and both teams looked in good shape. Bray had started brightly but it was Kildare who threatened first when John Broderick intercepted Derek Foran’s weak header in the eighth minute only to lose control of the ball after a good recovery by Foran.

After the goal, Bray took control of the game and in the 15th minute Cawley had an effort tipped over by Treacy when he shot from 25 yards out. 6 minutes later Gavin Whelan had a chance when he hooked the ball goalwards after a Cawley corner from the left but Treacy saved again.

Kildare had their first proper chance on 24 minutes when John Broderick shot wide with a 30-yard effort. Kildare went close again on 29 minutes when Cathal Brady shot across the goal from inside the box after Phillip Gorman had laid the ball on for him. In between those two chances, Andy Myler struck a shot well wide at the other end.

Myler had another chance on 39 minutes, this time heading wide after jumping well to meet Patrick Kavanagh’s delicate cross. Kavanagh himself had the next chance when he shot from 25 yards but after creating the space, he could not keep his shot down.

Bray had the first chance of the second half in the 52nd minute when Pender charged into the box and fired straight at Treacy. The rebound fell to Kavanagh but his shot was blocked on the line and cleared. Four minutes later Ger Rowe did well to get to the goal-line and play the ball across the face of goal but no Bray player was there to connect.

Kildare’s first chance of the second half came on 61 minutes when Ger Robinson hit a shot wide from the edge of the area. In the 66th minute Kildare had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for a foul in the crowded penalty area following a corner from the right by Barry Clancy.

Substitute John Mulroy linked well with Ger Rowe to fashion a chance in the 72nd minute for Bray but he fired over under pressure from Alan Clarke. In the 74th minute Bray had a goal of their own ruled out when Rowe had struck the ball home following a Ronan Ivory cross. Ivory’s cross had come through a sea of players and Gavin Whelan was adjudged to have handled the ball.

Kildare began to create chances in the final ten minutes with Robinson heading inches wide from a Tom Morgan free-kick on the left in the 81st minute. Two minutes later, Morgan hit a free-kick just over from the edge of the box.

Kildare hit the post in the 84th minute with a header from another Clancy corner. Craig Berrigan followed up but his effort was blocked and put out for another corner. Cathal Brady crossed into the box only for Bray keeper Chris O’Connor to be fouled.

The best chance of the half fell to Ciarán Kilduff in the final minute when he was put through on goal by Eoin Kavanagh but his effort from 16 yards out was well-saved by O’Connor.

Bray now travel to Cork City on Friday night for their first game of the season and Cork boss Alan Matthews was in the stands for this match. Kildare head to Athlone on Saturday evening for their First Division opener.

Bray Wanderers: Chris O'Connor; Derek Pender (GaryCronin 70), Kevin Doherty (Ray Kenny ‘66), Derek Foran (Ronan Ivory 70), Colm Tresson; Paddy Kavanagh, Gavin Whelan, Alan Cawley, Mark Duggan (Gary McCabe 67); Andy Myler (John Mulroy 67), Ger Rowe.

Kildare County: Charlie Treacy (Colin Cassidy 75); Alan Clarke, John Brophy (Craig Berrigan 73), Willie Tyrell, Barry Clancy; Cathal Brady, Paul Donnelly (Tom Morgan 69), Ger Robinson, Barry Slattery (Eoin Kavanagh 73); John Broderick (Craig Mooney 55), Philip Gorman (Ciaran Kilduff 46).

Referee: Declan Hanney.