Bray Wanderers 0 - 4 Limerick

• Simon O'Gorman
• Fri, Aug 26 2011


Limerick FC put four goals past Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night to progress to the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup in a game that saw the home side dominate before being reduced to nine men fifteen minutes from the end.

The only incident of genuine note during the first half of this game was a goal for Limerick, scored by Padraic Quinn three minutes before the break, and the nature of the opening score typified a dull half.

Both sides struggled to find any rhythm in the opening stages and, although Bray became the more dominant side as the half wore on, the game never caught light in a cagey and uninspiring opening forty five minutes. Jake Kelly set the tone with a volleyed effort on 12 minutes that cleared the perimeter wall and, while Bray certainly dominated in terms of possession, their efforts seldom caused real concern among the Limerick defence.

Shane O’Connor delivered a couple of decent crosses from the right but Limerick defender Corie Tracey was on hand on both occasions to head clear. Daire Doyle had a chance on 32 minutes when he glanced a header narrowly beyond the back post from Dean Zambra’s corner and Derek Prendergast also headed over from a Jake Kelly corner just before half time.

But the defining moment of the half was Paudie Quinn’s goal on 42 minutes. Limerick played a ball through the middle for Denis Behan to chase but Bray ‘keeper Darren Quigley came out smartly to win the race. Then, inexplicably, he played a pass for a defender where no defender lay. Quinn picked up the ball in acres of space and shot into the empty net from 25 yards.

The second half scarcely improved. Daire Doyle ran on to a loose ball on 54 minutes and fired a shot across the Limerick goal and wide of the far post but, again, a largely dominant Bray side failed to establish any real sense of momentum.

Substitute John Mulroy got a decent shot away on 72 minutes which drifted just beyond Barry Ryan’s right hand post but it was a rare moment of good football and, once again, it was left to a bizarre incident to enliven events.

On 74 minutes Barry Sheedy broke through the Bray defence and his powerful shot was parried by Quigley into the path of Paudie Quinn. It looked as if the Limerick midfielder would have another empty goal to shoot at but Adam Mitchell slid in and was adjudged to have taken the player and not the ball.

Mitchell received a straight red card but, before Denis Behan could take the resulting penalty, there was just enough time for Danny O’Connor to join him, given his own marching orders for persistent dissent. When it finally came, Behan’s spot kick was emphatic and the entire aspect of the game had changed.

Down to nine men and two goals behind, it was inevitable that Limerick would create further chances, however poorly they had played for much of this game. Substitute Garbhan Coughlan made his own opening four minutes from time and, after a kind rebound off a Bray defender, he tapped the ball over the line for Limerick’s third.

Limerick’s fourth came from Man of the Match Paudie Quinn, rifling home from the edge of the box just as the game reached full time. It is a result that will please Limerick manager, Pat Scully, whose side kept their composure and took their chances as they came. Pat Devlin will be distinctly less enamoured as his side tumble out of the Cup to lower league opposition.

Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley; Shane O’Connor (Kevin Knight, 62), Derek Prendergast, Adam Mitchell, Dane Massey; Dean Zambra, Danny O’Connor, Daire Doyle, Jake Kelly; Chris Shields (John Mulroy, 51), Conor Murphy (Danny McGuiness, 80).
Subs not used: Brian Kane, Dave Webster, Graham Kelly, Shane O’Neill.

Bookings: Shields (22), J Kelly (46), Prendergast (88).
Sendings Off: Mitchell (74), D O’Connor (74).

Limerick FC: Barry Ryan; Andrew Bhandarkar (Garvan Broughall, 70), Pat Purcell, Peter White, Corie Tracey; Jeffrey Judge, David O’Leary, Paudie Quinn, Barry Sheedy (Peter Hynes, 78); Sean Brosnan (Garbhan Coughlan, 62), Denis Behan.
Subs not used: Shane Cusack, James McGrath.

Bookings: Judge (45).

Referee: Rob Rogers.
Attendance: 250 (estimate).
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Paudie Quinn.