Bray Wanderers 2 - 1 Derry City

Bray Wanderers earned a 2-1 win over Derry City in tonight’s Premier Division clash at the Carlisle Grounds. Colm Tresson and Ger Rowe grabbed the goals for the Seagulls after Derry had taken an early lead through Mark Farren.

Only a hundred seconds into the game, Derry hit the front. An aimless back-pass by Alan Cawley went into the Bray box. Farren was the only alert player in the box and he beat the Bray defenders to the ball before rounding Alan Gough and calmly slotting the ball into the empty net.

The next chance of the evening fell to the hosts through winger Gareth Coughlan. On 11 minutes, Rowe picked the ball up inside the Derry half before lobbing it over the Derry defence. Coughlan chested the ball down outside the box and then advanced. Coughlan went to place the ball, instead of blasting it but his side-footed effort went wide of the far post.

In the 18th minute, Wanderers equalised. The goal was scored by substitute Colm Tresson, who was only on the pitch six minutes, having replaced the injured Philip Knight in the 12th minute. From a Cawley free on the right, the ball landed on the forehead of Tresson who directed the ball past Gerard Doherty in the Derry goal.

Four minutes later, Bray took the lead. Kevin Doherty launched a clearance deep into the Derry half following a Derry corner and Ger Rowe beat Eddie McCallion to the bouncing ball. Rowe controlled before firing at goal. Gerard Doherty managed to get his hand to the ball but it was not enough and Rowe’s effort went in off the post to make it 2-1 to the hosts.

In the 34th minute, Niall McGinn played the ball into Farren who bounded into the Bray box. After turning inside his marker, he curled a shot at goal from the right but it lacked direction and spun wide of the far post.

Only three minutes into the second half, Derek Pender handled the ball in the box and Derry were awarded a penalty. Sam Morrow stepped up to take it but his strike crashed back off the crossbar. A minute later, a long ball from Gerard Doherty landed at the feet of Farren. Farren made it to the goal-line before playing the ball back to Morrow on the edge of the area. Before Morrow could shoot, Derek Foran slid in excellently and cleared the ball.

With an hour gone, Stephen Gray’s header back to Gerard Doherty was weak and Coughlan pounced on the ball. He closed in on goal but his final shot was driven well wide of the Derry goal.

Derry struggled to create clear-cut chances after that. Their best effort of the second half came in the 84th minute. Niall McGinn’s cross from the left was headed by Foran but the ball fell perfectly for sub Ciarán Martyn who volleyed the ball wide from twelve yards.

Bray held on for a deserved three points which edges them closer to safety in the Premier Division, which can be secured with a win in Galway next Friday. Derry’s marathon run of games appears to be catching up on them and they’ll need to regroup ahead of their trip to champions Bohemians next week.

Bray Wanderers: Alan Gough; Derek Pender, Kevin Doherty, Derek Foran, Philip Knight (Colm Tresson 12); Gareth Coughlan (Jake Kelly 72), Gavin Whelan, Alan Cawley, Mark Duggan; Andy Myler (John Mulroy 81), Ger Rowe.
Subs not used: Chris O'Connor, Paul Dunphy.

Bookings: Pender (48), Coughlan (63).

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Eddie McCallion, Mark McChrystal, Clive Delaney, Steven Gray; Niall McGinn, Kevin Deery (Ciaran Martyn 76), Barry Molloy, Billy Dennehy (Kevin McHugh 62); Sammy Morrow (Thomas Stewart 76), Mark Farren.
Subs not used: Darren Quigley, Ruaidhri Higgins.

Bookings: Dennehy (28), Gray (31), Deery (60), McHugh (87).

Referee: Mark Gough (Limerick).

Attendance: 900 (estimate).

Man of the match: Derek Foran (Bray Wanderers).