Drogheda United 1 - 4 Bray Wanderers

You would imagine this season can’t end soon enough for Mick Cooke as he watched his Drogheda side go down 4-1 to a rampant Bray Wanderers at Hunky Dorys Park on Friday night. Dan McGuinness played a hand in two of the goals but in the main, Drogheda were their own worst enemy with defensive errors costing them dearly.

The visitors set the tone of the game almost immediately. Forward Gary Shaw took possession just inside the Drogs’ half and was allowed a free run on goal. He fired low and hard past Steven Trimble in the home goal after just two minutes.

After the goal, however, Drogheda didn’t fall apart immediately. Indeed they enjoyed some good spells of possession and if Tiarnan Mulvenna had made more of a good chance after five minutes it might have been a different story entirely. However he fired straight at Darren Quigley. It was Drogheda’s only real chance in the half.

Down the other end, Bray continued to test Steven Trimble who will want to forget this game very quickly. Dan McGuinness looked very threatening from the right and when he crossed on 20 minutes, the goalkeeper could only punch clear. The ball eventually came to the equally impressive Jake Kelly but he couldn’t find a way past Trimble.

But the goals were always going to come. And come they did in a five minute salvo. That man McGuinness doubled Bray’s advantage on 32 minutes when he collected Darren Quigley’s long ball and rounded Trimble. Almost exactly one minute later the visitors were celebrating again, John Mulroy with the header this time and McGuinness with the cross.

The fourth was a moment of individual brilliance. Gary Dempsey, so often the playmaker and main man for Bray this season, controlled on the edge of the Drogheda box before chipping Trimble audaciously. It was a well-deserved goal for a true servant of the game.

Bray picked up in the second half where they left off. Jake Kelly should have made it five but couldn’t direct his shot on target after Shaw crossed invitingly, the Drogheda defence again caught completely asleep.  McGuinness was equally wasteful three minutes later. But Bray could afford to be wasteful.

Drogheda, on the other hand, could not and while they did create more after the restart, they repeatedly failed to test Quigley in the Bray goal. Gavin Brennan went very close from an 18 yard free kick and if Mulvenna had stretched more he could have headed home Gavin Brennan’s cross five minutes later.

To Drogheda’s credit, they didn’t let their heads go down and continued to plug away. The goal, when it arrived, was down as much to good fortune as  perseverance; Bray forward and second half sub Conor Murphy inadvertedly deflecting Philip Hand’s free kick into his own goal.

The game continued in the open fashion it had enjoyed throughout though chances became less frequent, and less clear-cut. Gavin Brennan did have a chance for a consolation ten minutes from the end. But he could only muster a tame header well wide.

Down the other end, Conor Murphy had a chance to atone for his earlier error, but flashed just wide from 30 yards. 

A half-time announcement that a lost Drogheda season ticket had been handed in summed up the night for the hosts. Certainly one to forget but credit to Bray who simply had too much for their hosts.

Drogheda United: Steven Trimble; Stephen Quigley, Brian Gannon, Dave Rogers, Philip Hand (Tony Melis, 83); Peter McMahon (Robbie Clarke, 46), Lee Lynch, Gavin Brennan; Jordan White (Dinny Corcoran, 46), Tiernan Mulvenna.

Subs not used: Robert Duggan, Sean Challenger, Conor O’ Keeffe, Shane Fitzgerald.

Bookings: Rogers (14), Lynch (71), G Brennan (80).

Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley; Daire Boyle, Conor Butler, Adam Mitchell, David Webster; Gary Dempsey, Dan McGuinness, Dean Zambra, Jake Kelly (Conor Early, 84); John Mulroy (Kieran Marty Waters, 84), Gary Shaw (Conor Murphy, 65).

Subs not used: Brian Kane, Chris Shields, Kevin Knights, Dane Massey.

Bookings: Mitchell (14), J Kelly (74).

Referee: Neil Doyle.

Attendance: 400 (estimate).

ExtraTime.ie man of the match: Dan McGuinness (Bray Wanderers)