Bray Wanderers 1 - 2 Shamrock Rovers

• Finbarr O'Sullivan
• Sat, Jul 11 2009


Shamrock Rovers overcame Bray Wanderers 2-1 at the Carlisle Grounds in a game that was delayed for half an hour when a section of the wall surrounding the pitch collapsed. Dessie Baker scored a wonder goal in the first half before Gary Twigg added another in the second half. Dave Mulcahy grabbed Bray's consolation.

Rovers' Barry Murphy made the first save of the game in the 29th minute, denying Dave Webster's free from inside the dee. Webster drove the free-kick through the Hoops wall but Murphy was able to get down and push the ball away.

Rovers had their first opening when Shane Robinson set up Gary Twigg in the 35th minute. After Robinson picked up on Daire Doyle's slip, he ran into the box but, being tightly marked, he pulled the ball back to Twigg eighteen yards out. Twigg ran onto it and sidefooted straight at goal but Chris O'Connor got down to save.

Rovers took the lead three minutes before the break. Bray failed to clear a bouncing ball in their defence and Philip Knight's attempted clearance went straight to Dessie Baker. Baker knocked the ball up befire volleying right-footed from the edge of the area. His shot flew past O'Connor and into the Seagulls' goal.

The Seagulls equalised ten minutes into the second half through Dave Mulcahy. Dane Massey's free from inside his own half landed in the Rovers box and Mulcahy got ahead of his marker Aidan Price to smash the ball past Murphy from 12-yards out.

Rovers once again took the lead in the 68th minute through Gary Twigg. Stephen Rice's cross from the right was collected by Chris O'Connor. However, under pressure from his own defenders, O'Connor dropped the ball and the predator Twigg pounced on the mistake and calmly tapped the ball home from 12-yards.

The match was then delayed for 30 minutes when part of the wall surrounding the pitch collapsed as Rovers fans and players celebrated.

Two minutes after the match resumed, a corner by Robinson came to Craig Sives. He knocked the ball back to Price who screwed an effort at goal but O'Connor saved comfortably.

In the 75th minute, Wanderers had a chance through sub Shane O'Neill. O'Connor's long ball went up to Derek Pender. He knocked the ball down to O'Neill who controlled and turned before firing at goal from the edge of the area but is shot didn't get past Murphy in the Rovers goal.

With two minutes to go, the Seagulls' Philip Knight should have equalised. After Stephen Brennan played the ball out to sub Gareth Coughlan on the left, he crossed for Knight who arrived unmarked at the far post. However, he couldn't get any power into his header and Murphy saved comfortably.

The Hoops ended the game with ten men when Sean O'Connor was shown a straight red in injury time.

The match ended with a victory for Shamrock who go above Derry City into second place. They host Sligo Rovers at Tallaght next in eight days time while Bray remain rooted to the foot of the table and will look to get something from their trip to Drogheda United next Friday.

Bray Wanderers (4-5-1): Chris O'Connor; Daire Doyle (Gareth Coughlan, 68), Derek Foran, Dave Webster, Philip Knight; Derek Pender, Stephen Brennan, Dave Mulcahy, Dave O'Neill, Dane Massey; Paul Byrne (Jake Kelly, 20 (Shane O'Neill, 45)). Subs not used: Ian Tuohy, Brian Kane. Bookings: Stephen Brennan (90+4).

Shamrock Rovers (4-4-2): Barry Murphy; Pat Flynn, Aidan Price, Craig Sives, Ian Bermingham; Tadhg Purcell, Stephen Rice, Shane Robinson, Sean O'Connor; Dessie Baker (Don Cowan, 81), Gary Twigg. Subs not used: Karl Coleman, Eric McGill, Corie Tracey, Padraig Amond. Bookings: Dessie Baker (53), Shane Robinson (59). Sent off: Sean O'Connor (90+2).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Shane Robinson - the Rovers captain's performance went a long to helping his side win tonight.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).

Attendance: 2,000 (estimate).