- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Jan 26 2018
A stunning first-half display saw Wexford register their first win of pre-season with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night.
These sides endured contrasting fortunes last year as Wexford scrapped around at the foot of the First Division table while the Seagulls challenged for a possible European spot.
There was little evidence of that on a bitterly cold evening by the seaside, however, as a second in two games for on-loan Aaron Dobbs and a brace for Dean Kelly saw Damian Locke's side breeze to victory.
Wexford arrived into the game on the back of a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Waterford a week earlier, while Dave Mackey's first game as Bray boss saw them play out a dour 0-0 draw with UCD.
And in front of a handful of fans at the Carlisle Grounds – the €5 cover charge having proven too rich for the majority of supporters – the Seagulls showed what a big job Mackey has on his hands.
There were just nine minutes on the clock when the visitors took the lead with the game's first clear-cut chance.
A mix-up in the Bray defence saw Sean Hurley play in Kelly, and the forward – playing in a narrow two alongside Shane Barnes behind Dobbs – slotted past Bray's trialist keeper, the former Galway United stopper Conor Winn.
Returning Seagull Jake Kelly had earlier seen a decent cross from the left hooked clear by Ross Kenny, while another just evaded Aaron Greene at the back stick, as he looked to exploit the space outside Wexford's back three.
He and Kevin Lynch showed early signs that they could overwhelm Wexford's right wing-back Conor Sutton, but Lynch was fortunate not to see red for a mistimed challenge that saw Sutton stretchered from the field.
Kelly went close again as he showed good feet to evade the challenges of Hugh Douglas and John Sullivan before getting too much elevation on his shot.
Wexford's narrow shape was seeing them win the midfield battle easily, leaving Bray with little option time and again to pump the ball long to the static targetman Ger Pender, and it was the visitors who looked like the Premier Division outfit.
Nevertheless, there was a hint of fortune about the second as Douglas took a tumble in midfield and Dean Kelly exploited the free space to send through the on-loan Shamrock Rovers striker Dobbs.
As he had in the previous week's game in Waterford, Dobbs showed a calm head belying his mere 18 years to wait for Winn to commit before slotting the ball neatly under the Galwayman's dive.
And it was to get even better for Wexford in injury time as Dean Kelly saw his free kick from 30 yards bounce in the box and arrow into the corner of the Bray net, to the visible and audible frustration of Winn.
A raft of changes for both sides in the early part of the second half saw a more open game, which finally allowed the Seagulls some foothold in the game, though they had to wait until the 67th minute for their first shot on target.
By this time goalkeeper Colm Feeney had left the field without having to make a save, to be replaced by ex-Shelbourne underage keeper Kelan Gaffney, and the replacement easily gathered substitute Corey Galvin's well-struck effort.
The game petered out in the closing stages but, typical of the home side's performance, they were denied a consolation in the final minute as Paul O'Conor stuck out a boot toward a seemingly goalbound effort from Jake Ellis only to hook the ball clear of goal.
Bray Wanderers: Conor Winn; Dylan Hayes, Hugh Douglas (Darragh Gibbons 62), Sean Heaney, Kevin Lynch (Dylan Barnett 76); John Sullivan, Paul O'Conor, Gary McCabe (Corey Galvin 57); Aaron Greene (Shane Flynn 75), Jake Kelly (Jake Ellis 59), Ger Pender (Daniel Kelly 59).
Subs not used: Eric Donnelly (gk).
Wexford: Colm Feeney (Kelan Gaffney 65); Owen McCormack (Ryan Nolan 75), Ross Kenny, Sean Kelly; Conor Sutton (Liam McCartan 19 (Dean George 73)), Mikey Byrne (Aaron O'Connor 60), Chris Kenny, Sean Hurley (Mark Slater 62); Dean Kelly (John Morgan 46), Shane Barnes (Owen Wall 46), Aaron Dobbs (Danny Doyle 57).
Subs not used: AJ Lehane.
Referee: Adriano Reale.
Attendance: 50 (estimate).
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Aaron Dobbs (Wexford).
