Bray Wanderers 1 - 2 Drogheda United

• Simon O'Gorman
• Sat, Aug 06 2011




A cracking goal from Philip Hand proved to be the winner for Drogheda United as they overcame Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night to record successive league victories for the first time this season.

Bray went into the game with suspensions ruling out four of their players and a recent league record that included five defeats in their previous six outings. Drogheda, who are slowly recovering after a dreadful start to the season, could not have chosen a better time to visit the seaside.

The first real chance of the game fell to Drogheda when midfielder Gavin Brennan latched on to a weak clearance from Bray ‘keeper Matt Gregg and flashed a first time effort narrowly over the crossbar from thirty yards out. The visitors had another chance to open the scoring on 26 minutes when Dinny Corcoran pounced on a weak back header from Dane Massey as he sought the refuge of his goalkeeper. While Corcoran’s effort cleared the stranded Gregg, it also sailed over the crossbar.

Lee Lynch was another Drogheda player who shot marginally too high when his fine shot from 25 yards brought the visiting fans to their feet just five minutes before the break.

And Bray had their chances too. Dean Zambra’s break down the right offered a shooting opportunity for John Mulroy on 18 minutes but the ageless Dave Rogers put in a crucial block, and on 32 minutes an mix up between Alan McNally and keeper Stephen Trimble allowed Conor Murphy to get a toe-poke on a through ball that trickled agonisingly wide of the Drogheda goal.

Gary Dempsey also had a clear chance when he got on the end of Zambra’s chip over the top but this time Trimble saved well at his near post.

But with one minute of the first half left the deadlock was broken. It was created by Lee Lynch who fed a superb ball into the inside left channel where Tiarnan Mulvenna hooked a ball across the box for Dinny Corcoran to fire home from close range with his right foot.

The second half produced better football from both sides and it was Bray who threatened first when a long free kick from Dempsey was headed on by Danny O’Connor and Jake Kelly slid in from the left to lift his shot over the bar. Had it gone in the assistant’s flag would have ruled it out but it was a statement of intent that Drogheda took heed of and it was Mick Cooke’s men who proceeded to take control.

Mulvenna came within inches of extending their lead on 57 minutes when his shot rolled across the Bray goal and wide of the far post, and only a desperate saving tackle from Adam Mitchell stopped Corcoran finishing off Mulvenna’s low cross from the right on the hour mark.

Ten minutes later Mulvenna produced an even better cross, this time from the left, and it but for Dane Massey dramatic intervention Mark O’Brien would surely have scored from just eight yards out.

Jake Kelly might have pulled Bray level on 74 minutes when his extraordinary run from deep brought him through a sea of Drogheda defenders before Trimble saved bravely at the winger’s feet. But it was Drogheda who scored next, Philip Hand driving a sweetly hit shot past Gregg from a tight angle on the left to seemingly end Bray’s challenge in the 81st minute.

Bray substitutes Graham Kelly and Dan McGuinness created a chance for Jake Kelly with five minutes remaining, Stephen Trimble saving well, but the home side’s persistence paid off when McGuinness finished off a ball from Zambra in the 89th minute.

It was too little too late and, despite late pressure from Pat Devlin’s men, Drogheda held out through four nervous minutes of added time. The three points gained lifts Drogheda to within a single point of eighth placed UCD, albeit with two extra games played, a position of modest achievement perhaps, but one that Drogheda’s supporters will know represents a huge improvement in their club’s fortunes.

Bray Wanderers: Matt Gregg; Daire Doyle (Graham Kelly, 68), Adam Mitchell, Dane Massey, Sean Houston; Dean Zambra, Danny O’Connor, Gary Dempsey, Jake Kelly; John Mulroy (Colm Tresson, 87), Conor Murphy (Dan McGuinness, 61).
Subs not used: Brian Kane, Stephen Last, Conor Butler, Stephen Brennan.
Bookings: J Kelly (74).

Drogheda United: Stephen Trimble; Stephen Quigley, Alan McNally, Dave Rogers, Philip Hand; Mark O’Brien, Peter McMahon, Lee Lynch, Gavin Brennan; Dinny Corcoran, Tiarnan Mulvenna (Jordan White, 86).
Subs not used: Robbie Gaul, Keith Murray, Shane Dolan, Cillian Thompson.
Bookings: Lynch (76).

Referee: Rob Rogers.
Attendance: 350 (estimate).
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Lee Lynch.