Bray Wanderers 1 - 3 Bohemians

• Finbarr O'Sullivan
• Sat, Jul 04 2009


Ten-men Bohemians came from behind to beat bottom of the table Bray Wanderers and go four points clear at the other end of the Premier Division. Gary Deegan, Jason Byrne and Killian Brennan got the goals for the Gypsies while Chris Shields got Wanderers' consolation goal.

Bohs could have taken the lead in the opening minute of the game through Gary Deegan. Graham Carey crossed from the right and Deegan connected at the far post with a standing overhead kick but he couldn't direct it and the ball went wide.

It was slightly against the run of play when the hosts took the lead in the 28th minute. After Ken Oman fouled Paul Byrne, Patrick Kavanagh's free from the left was flicked on by Chris Shields. The ball caused havoc in the Gypsies' defence and, when the ball broke loose, Shields was on hand to steer the ball home from ten yards.

Three minutes before half time, Bohemians equalised through Deegan. After Joseph Ndo gave the ball to Carey, the Celtic loanee cut in from the right before passing the ball to Deegan on the edge of the Bray box. Deegan took a touch before firing a shot past Chris O'Connor into the bottom corner.

Bohs could have gone in at the break ahead but for several saves from the Wanderers keeper. In injury time, a long ball by Brian Murphy fell for Jason Byrne who struck the ball into the ground. The effort looked as if it would loop over O'Connor but he got a hand to it and put it out for a corner.

A minute later, a Ndo cross from the right landed with Killian Brennan at the far post. He powered a left-foot volley at goal but once again O'Connor was on hand to kept the scores level.

There were only eight minutes gone in the second half when Bohs took the lead. Deegan had just received the ball in the Bray area when Derek Foran fouled him. Jason Byrne stepped up and placed the penalty in the bottom right corner, sending O'Connor the wrong way.

In the 61st minute, the visitors extended their lead through Brennan. A Carey free from the right landed at the near post and Brennan beat his mark to tap the ball in from six yards out.

Four minutes later, Deegan went close after he picked up the ball in the Bray half. He ran at goal before powerfully striking the ball at goal. Unfortunately, his driven shot went wide of O'Connor's goal.

In the 67th minute, a cross-field ball from Derek Pender picked out Gary McCabe on the right-hand side. McCabe cut back inside onto his right foot and shot from the edge of the area. His effort forced Brian Murphy into a save at the near post.

The game died down then until the dying minutes. Two minutes from the end, another long ball from Bohs' keeper Murphy found sub Paddy Madden but his shot from 12-yards was too weak to trouble O'Connor in the Bray goal.

Two minutes into injury time, a Conor Powell cross from the left was cut out by Foran but the ball fell to Madden whose right-foot volley went wide of the far post.

In front of numerous members of the Austrian press and scouts from Red Bull Salzburg, the Gypsies overcame an early shock and once again beat what was put in front of them. Bohs will now travel to in-form Dundalk next Friday while the Seagulls host Shamrock Rovers the same night.

Bray Wanderers (4-4-2): Chris O'Connor; Derek Pender, Derek Foran, Stephen Brennan, Phillip Knight (Darren Forsyth, 83); Patrick Kavanagh, Dave O'Neill, Chris Shields, Gary McCabe; Paul Byrne, Jake Kelly (Gareth Coughlan, 75).
Subs not used: Colm Tresson, Daire Doyle, Brian Kane.
Bookings: Dave O'Neill (79).

Bohemians (4-4-2): Brian Murphy; Owen Heary, Brian Shelley, Ken Oman, Conor Powell; Graham Carey, Glen Cronin (Paul Keegan, 52), Gary Deegan, Killian Brennan (Paddy Madden, 72); Jason Byrne (Mark Rossiter, 81), Joseph Ndo.
Subs not used: Glen Crowe, Matt Gregg.
Bookings: Gary Deegan (36), Graham Carey (86).
Sent off: Gary Deegan (77).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Gary Deegan - despite being sent off, he was instrumental in Bohs' victroy.

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).

Attendance: 1,500 (estimate).