Bray Wanderers 0 - 3 St. Patrick’s Athletic

St. Patrick’s Athletic came away from The Carlisle Grounds with a 3-0 win on Friday night thanks to a Stephen Bradley penalty and further strikes from Dave Mulcahy and Anto Murphy.

The visitors should have led at the break but had to wait until the 53rd minute to take the lead. Shane O’Connor took down his namesake Sean O’Connor inside the area and Bradley stepped up to score past Darren Quigley in the Bray goal.

Two minutes later Dave Mulcahy put Pat’s two up when he volleyed home right footed from twenty yards out. Anto Murphy completed the scoring in the 67th minute tapping home from Ian Daly’s cross.

After a scrappy opening, the first incident of note came in the eighth minute when Daire Doyle’s cross looked to have struck Dave Mulcahy on the arm in the penalty area but Alan Kelly waved play on despite the Bray protests.

Pat’s thought they should have had a free kick on the edge of the box in the six minutes later. Daryl Kavanagh was running through on Quigley’s goal and the forward went to ground after a tussle with Shane O’Connor but referee Alan Kelly again waved play on.

St Pat’s had the first real chance after 24 minutes when Derek Pender crossed the ball for Danny North who controlled it in the box, but before he could get his shot away he was challenged by ‘keeper Darren Quigley and Bray’s Shane O’Connor came in and cleared the ball away for a corner.

Kevin Knight had Bray’s first chance just before the half hour when he picked the ball up on the left and dribbled into the penalty area, Knight’s shot looked to be on target but it was deflected for a corner.

Danny North should have but the visitors ahead in the 31st minute when Bradley released Ian Bermingham on the left, who put in a good cross which North headed wide, when in front of goal.

Saints manager Pete Mahon took off striker Danny North eight minutes before the break, with Ian Daly coming on. It was unclear if he was injured or not but he did go down under a challenge shortly before the substitution. North had also received a yellow in the 20th minute and committed a number of fouls since the booking.

Dave Webster cleared away Bradley’s free kick just before Evan McMillan could get on the end of it two minutes before half time. From Bradley’s resulting corner, McMillan did get his head on the ball this time, but headed over the bar.

The best chances of the first half came in stoppage time. First Darren Quigley saved Anto Murphy’s low drive from the right side of the box, the rebound bounced up to Dave Mulcahy, who headed towards goal but his attempt was headed away by Webster.

Then it was Bray’s turn. Danny McGuinness had a good run down the right and he fired the ball across the box but it evaded everyone and went wide.

Straight from the kick off Daryl Kavanagh drove forward and found Sean O’Connor. The winger played it out left to Bermingham whose cross was headed towards goal by Kavanagh but it took a touch off a Bray head and went for a corner.

From the corner Evan McMillan had another chance. The centre back got his head to the ball once again but after a scramble in the box a free was awarded to Bray. In the 50th minute Dave Mulcahy had a shot after Daryl Kavanagh’s run and cross on the left. The ball appeared to hit Graham Kelly’s hand but once again referee Alan Kelly played on.

A minute later and the Saints had a shout for a goal when Bermingham’s low cross took a deflection off Kavanagh and appeared to be going in but was cleared off the line and headed away for a corner. Saints players and fans appealed that the ball had gone over the line but a corner was given.

The away side had been piling on the pressure and took a deserved lead in the 53rd minute. Stephen Bradley scored from the penalty spot, the penalty was awarded when Shane O’Connor brought down his namesake Sean O’Connor, who had picked up the ball outside the box and made a driving run towards the Bray goal. The centre half’s challenge was mistimed and Alan Kelly awarded the spot kick.

Bradley’s midfield partner Dave Mulcahy put the Saints two goals up two minutes later when the ball fell to him outside the box and he volleyed home right footed from around twenty yards out. Bray tried to get one back and on the hour mark Sean Houston headed over from a corner.

Stephen Bradley almost got his second of the game when he curled in a free kick from the left after 64 minutes that forced Quigley into a smart save low to his right.

A minute after Bradleys chance, Ian Daly tested Quigley when he picked up the ball outside the box and fired in a left footed shot that went straight into the Bray goalkeeper’s arms.

Anto Murphy got the visitors third goal with 23 minutes remaining. Daly’s run and low cross from the right and Murphy was left with the simple task of tapping the ball into the net at the back post.

Pat’s tried to get a fourth and in the 81st minute Ian Bermingham crossed a dangerous ball in and forced Chris Shields to knock it away for a corner.

Not much happened in the final few minutes and the men from Inchicore left the seaside happy, for Bray it was their third defeat in a row.

Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley; Daire Doyle, Sean Houston, Dave Webster, Shane O’Connor; Chris Shields, Graham Kelly (Dean Zambra 62), Kevin Knight, Jake Kelly; Danny McGuinness (Gary Shaw 62), Conor Murphy (Shane O’Neill 70).
Subs not used: Conor Butler, Dane Massey, Derek Prendergast, Brian Kane.
Bookings: S O’Connor (52), S O’Neill (86).

St. Patrick’s Athletic: Gary Rogers; Derek Pender, Ian Bermingham, Conor Kenna, Evan McMillan; Anthony Murphy, David Mulcahy (Paul Crowley, 80), Stephen Bradley (Shane McFaul, 80), Sean O’Connor; Daryl Kavanagh, Danny North (Ian Daly 37).
Subs not used: Chris Bennion, Brian Shortall, Shane Guthrie, Sean Stewart.
Bookings: D North (20), D Kavanagh (82).

Referee: Alan Kelly.
Attendance: 800 (estimate).

extratime.ie Man of the Match: Ian Bermingham. A constant threat down the left for the visitors.