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Bray Wanderers 4-2 Ramblers
We all know that saying in soccer that goals win games, and that is a truism up to a point. Goals win games, unless the goals you concede is in excess of the number you score. Such was the case at the Carlisle Grounds, Bray on Sunday last, where Ramblers played as well as they have done all season, scored twice - enough to possibly win most games, but the common denominator of the season to-date that of giving up soft goals to the opposition, reared its ugly head here again as all four goals deposited to Kevin McCarthy's net could again fit that same avoidable category.
Timmy O'Shea, Connie Murphy and Sam O'Regan were all new additions to the squad, with a returning Timmy from Cobh Wanderers, starting the game in central defence. Ramblers exerted an early foothold in the game and with Pierce Donnachie teasing and tormenting a Bray legend and captain Colm Tresson, that outlet down the left-wing was a springboard that should have provided more goals outside of the opener on 22 minutes. An intervening Bray head took a Donnachie cross on 11 minutes away from a waiting Stephen Bruton at the back post, and three minutes later Jonathan Spillane put Pierce in possession, he cut inside the Bray No. 5, Nicholas Byrne, but unfortunately his shot lacked the necessary power and the keeper saved comfortably. Not so on 22 minutes as a long ball from the back by Timmy O'Shea saw Jonathan Spillane in the clear having sprung the offside ploy of the home side. Will he go for goal himself or square it to a team mate was the indecision faced by the Bray player who had recovered the ground to stand between Spillane and goal. The latter option by Spillane proved the correct one as Pierce Donnachie took the pass in his stride to score.
Minutes later a Spillane flick with his head to a Pa Durkin cross from the left shaved the Bray post. Jonathan Spillane involved himself again on 29 minutes with a header on for his strike partner, Shane Geasley, who in turn moved the ball on for Stephen Bruton, but under pressure his low shot lacked the power to beat Bray net minder, Robert Lambert. In the very next attack Bray had their first shot on goal saved by Kevin McCarthy from Darren Forsyth. That is no exaggeration so much were Ramblers on top and you felt they were capable of scoring again with confidence levels high and the football impressive too. But the self-destruct button would not be pushed once, but twice, in as many minutes between the 32nd and 34th minute, and the unrealistic scoreline of 2-1 to Bray was just that - unreal! Goal scorers for the home side were Shane O'Neill and Ian Mansfield.
You could see the confidence visibly return within the Bray ranks, and Forsyth with a snap shot was just over as the second-half began. But Ramblers themselves were surely encouraged by all that was good and positive up to the goals conceded, and sure enough they levelled things up on 52 minutes. Initially Shane Spillane set up Shane Geasley for a ground shot across the goalkeeper, but Lambert was equal to it to push it out for a corner. The kick from the left taken by Pierce Donnachie was met by the forehead of Peter O'Halloran, but while Lambert saved he only pushed it away. John Forrest was first to the loose ball, his shot was blocked, but the ball squirmed free inside the six yard box with Peter O'Halloran quickest to react to force the ball to the net. Unfortunately equality lasted a mere six minutes. The ref either missed or was not convinced of a Bray handball in the build-up to that goal. The goal itself a penalty award as John Forrest obviously felt he had little option but to haul down Ian Mansfield to stop what was a clear passage in on goal. Shane O'Neill did the necessary.
The game lulled for a period as Bray seemed content to sit on what they had, and while the urgency was still in the Ramblers play it lacked the rhythm of that opening period, replaced by a more hurried style in which the ball at times was misplaced or over hit. The ticking clock extinguished all hope of a comeback on 80 minutes, as a quickly taken Bray free-kick on the right caught Ramblers for concentration, the ball was crossed and sub, Youcer Belmont, on the field for at most a minute, got the better of the Ramblers defender to claim the ball and drive his shot beyond Kevin McCarthy. Bray hit a post through O'Neill, McCarthy saved from Mansfield at the expense of a corner, and John Forrest diverted a cross away from a lurking Shane O'Neill (a player to watch) as Bray finished the game on the up. As we said at the outset, goals do win games, only on this day Bray outscored a rather unlucky Ramblers side by four goals to two.
Team: Kevin McCarthy, John Forrest, Pa Durkin, Timmy O'Shea, Peter O'Halloran, Stephen Bruton, Mikey O'Shea (capt.), Shane Spillane, Shane Geasley, Jonathan Spillane, Pierce Donnachie.
Subs: Sean Daly - Bruton 60 mins
Sam O'Regan - Durkin 61 mins
Connie Murphy - Geasley 76 mins
Colin Kearney
Danny Langford
Ref: Mr. Rob Rogers
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Next Senior Game
| Saturday 4th
Sept |
| St.Pat's |
| St.Colman's
Park 7.45pm |
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