- Andrew Dempsey
- Fri, Jul 26 2024
Andrew Dempsey reports from the Carlisle Grounds
Bray Wanderers took a step towards securing a play-off place on Friday night with a 3-1 win over Wexford at the Carlisle Grounds.
Despite enduring a patchy start, the Seagulls took an 18th minute lead through Kieran Cruise.
Wexford responded instantly through Aaron Dobbs but they were behind again moments later when Kaylem Harnett turned into his own net.
Peter Grogan’s 83rd minute insurance strike then sealed it for the Wanderers as they moved up to fourth place.
Coming into the game off the back of a narrow 1-0 FAI Cup defeat to Shelbourne last weekend, Bray Wanderers were unchanged.
Meanwhile, Wexford made one swap from their victory over Wayside Celtic last Sunday as Luka Lovic dropped out in place of Kian Corbally. New signings Adam Lennon, Conor Walsh and Conor Crowley were named on the bench by boss James Keddy.
And the Slaneysiders started the game the better of the two and probably should have taken the lead as early as the eighth minute.
Ethan Boyle clipped a fine ball to Mikie Rowe on the right flank, but Jimmy Corcoran was on hand to deny the Wexford attacker with a smart save.
Darragh Levingston also cracked a shot from distance over the bar moments later, with the visitors exerting plenty of control on proceedings.
But they fell behind against the run of play in the 18th minute when Cruise beat Alex Moody with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
Moody should have stopped the former Shamrock Rovers youth’s effort after the influential Darren Craven stretched the play to pull Wexford out of their shape.
Bray’s lead did not last long however as Dobbs equalised for the visitors.
The striker was on hand to pounce after being found unmarked by a Thomas Oluwa cross following Levingston’s shot from range.
And to complete a madcap five-minute spell, Bray retook the lead through a Harnett own-goal.
The Ireland underage international was the unlucky party after Paul Murphy’s wayward shot clipped off his foot to beat the luckless Moody.
But the chance was an avoidable one for the visitors after they failed to initially clear a Max Murphy free-kick from distance.
The Seagulls could have stretched their lead soon after with Spanish midfielder Guillermo Almirall heading straight at Moody from a Max Murphy cross.
Ben Feeney also went minutes after the half hour mark as he fired a fizzling effort just over after some good build up play from the hosts.
But Wexford should have levelled minutes before the interval.
Rowe - who has been a key man for Wexford this season - clipped a superb ball into the path of Dobbs who only had Corcoran to beat.
Instead, the former Shelbourne and Longford Town striker skewed his effort horribly over the bar with the goal at his mercy from inside the penalty area.
While the first-half was frantic, the second was anything but for large spells.
Defender Lewis Temple had Wexford’s first chance from a corner-kick minutes into the half as he headed a Mark Hanratty delivery over.
And striker Dobbs also cracked an effort low at Corcoran past the hour mark but could not rattle the net.
Wexford, to their credit, pushed forward but they were undone seven minutes from time when Grogan finished well across the face of Moody’s goal after being teed up by Craven.
Wanderers’ first league win in three has now pushed them five points clear of Wexford, although Keddy’s side do have a game in hand on them.
But Wexford remain four points off the playoffs following Finn Harps’ 1-0 defeat away to Treaty United.
Bray Wanderers:Jimmy Corcoran; Killian Cantwell, Kieran Cruise, Paul Murphy, Max Murphy, Zach Nolan (Cole Omorehiomwan 87); Guillermo Almirall Peñalver (Conor Knight 87), Darren Craven, Harry Groome, Callum Thompson (Zayd Abada 67); Ben Feeney (Peter Grogan 73).
Subs not used:Stephen McGuinness, Luke Smith, Josh McGlone, Thomas Morgan, Billy O'Neill.
Booked:Zach Nolan (14), Harry Groome (41), Darren Craven (64), Kieran Cruise (68).
Wexford:Alex Moody; Ethan Boyle (Cian Curtis 73), Kaylem Harnett (Reece Webb 46), Darragh Levingston (Adam Lennon 80), Sean McHale, Lewis Temple; Kian Corbally (Conor Crowley 56), Mark Hanratty; Aaron Dobbs, Thomas Oluwa, Mikie Walsh-Rowe.
Subs not used:Conor Walsh, Divin Isamala, Cian O'Malley, James Crawford, Luka Lovic.
Booked:Kaylem Harnett (37), Reece Webb (68).
Referee:Declan Toland.
Attendance:576.
extratime.com Player of the Match: Darren Craven (Bray Wanderers).
