- Simon O'Gorman
- Sat, May 24 2014
An unfortunate own goal by Bray keeper Stephen McGuinness and a late penalty from Colin Healy were enough to win the points for Cork City at a wintery Carlisle Grounds on Friday night.
In a largely uneventful opening forty-five minutes the most dramatic moment came after 11 minutes when both Billy Dennehy and Dave Scully were shown straight red cards for an incident that nobody in the ground saw except linesman Lee Bevins.
After a Cork corner had been cleared the linesman called over referee Jim McKell who then showed the reds, much to the shock of all in attendance at the Carlisle Grounds and, it must be said, the players too. Fourth official Dave McKeon later explained that the players had been seen to make head-butting gestures.
Otherwise, good football was at a premium in a game that was played in dreadful conditions. The goal, a free kick by Colin Healy that appeared to come back off the postbefore rebounding into the net off Bray keeper Stephen McGuinness, was about the only other moment of excitement in a half that was scuppered by a strong wind and driving rain.
Adam Hanlon had the first shot on target after seven minutes but the Bray winger’s effort lacked conviction and Mark McNulty saved without undue fuss. Thereafter it was a game of attrition in which both defences mastered the attacking efforts of the other.
If anything, conditions worsened in the second period making creative play the rarest of luxuries. Little of note and nothing of consequence occurred for a considerable length of time although both teams did well to maintain a competitive edge in a contest that otherwise failed to excite a crowd that included the Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane.
The final half hour saw Bray exert a decent amount of pressure on their visitors but the final ball was always lacking and for their part Cork began to look dangerous on the break.
Mark O’Sullivan headed a free kick straight at Stephen McGuinness in the Bray goal on 71 minutes and the same player provided an excellent cross for substitute Rob Lehane to head narrowly over four minutes later.
And Lehane had the best opportunity of the game with six minutes to go when a slip by Adam Mitchell allowed him through on goal. His initial shot was saved by McGuinness but he blew the follow up high over the bar, something he repeated a minute later when he was again played through.
With one minute left on the clock the game was sealed in favour of the Rebels. Lehane again found himself goal-side of the Bray defence but his progress was halted illegally by Mitchell. The centre back was shown a straight red, the third of the game, and Colin Healy dispatched the penalty high into the top left corner of the Bray net.
It proved a very hard won three points for Cork and Bray will lament an evening spent battling the elements as much as the opposition, but with the conditions being the same for both sides the plaudits must rightfully go to John Caulfield’s side.
Bray Wanderers: Stephen McGuinness; Niall Cooney, Dave Webster, Adam Mitchell, Robert Maloney (Jamie McGlynn 46); Dave Scully, Graham Kelly, David Cassidy, Dean Zambra (Shane Byrne 70), Adam Hanlon; Ismahil Akinade (Shane O’Neill 70).
Subs not used: Shane Redmond (gk), Danny O’Connor, Michael Brown, Ciaran Byrne.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: Scully (11), Mitchell (89).
Cork City: Mark McNulty; John Dunleavy, Dan Murray, Darren Dennehy, Iarfhlaith Davoren; Liam Kearney (Rob Lehane 62), Gearoid Morrissey, Colin Healy, Garry Buckley, Billy Dennehy; Mark O’Sullivan.
Subs not used: Matt Gledhill, John Kavanagh, Ian Turner, Andy O’Connell, Kevin Mulcahy, David O’Leary.
Booked: Murray (23), Kearney (37), Davoren (57), O’Sullivan (66).
Sent Off: B Dennehy (11).
Referee: Jim McKell.
Attendance: 500 (estimate)
Extratime Man of the Match: Colin Healy (Cork City).
