Bray Wanderers 1 Rovers 0

Eircom League Premier Division

Bray Wanderers (1) 1 - (Duggan 3' )

Rovers (0) 0

Carlisle Grounds - Friday 30th May 2008 - ko 7.45pm

Hoops Line-Out
1 Barry Murphy 2 Corey Treacy 3 Mark Langtry
4 Eric McGill 5 Barry Ferguson 6 Danny O'Connor
7 Dave Tyrell 8 Alan Murphy 9 Tadhg Purcell
10 Padraig Amond 11 Sean O'Connor

Substitutes:
13 Ger O'Brien for Tyrell 63' 14 David Vickery
15 Paul Sharry 16 Karl Coleman for Murphy ht
17 Eoin Doyle for Langtry 66'

Rover rue wasted chances....

A sunny evening in Bray ended in disappointment as the Hoops left the Carlisle Grounds empty handed having created enough chances to at the very least earn a point. Bray started brightly and took the lead after only 3 minutes. A corner kick fell to Duggan just outside the area and his deflected shot wrong-footed Barry Murphy and Bray were off to a great start.

However the Hoops should have equalised just two minutes later when a good move between Amond and Purcell saw the ball fall to Amond in the area but he shot weakly at Gough in front of the Bray goal. On 16 minutes an Alan Murphy header set up Amond at the edge of the area and his first time volley was beaten away by Gough.

Another good ball from Murphy set up Amond again and he raced into the box and looked to have slotted the ball past Gough but the vetern 'keeper got his hand to the ball to delect Amonds effort on to the post and out for a corner. Referee Buttimer however signaled for a goal-kick.

A great run by stand-in full back Mark Langtry on 29 minutes saw him get into the box and his low cross found Amond but he was surrounded by Bray defenders and couldn't get his shot in. The home side were offering little up front and Cawleys corner was defended well in front of the Rovers goal on 33 minutes. The half ended with the Hoops exerting more pressure on the Bray defence but without finding the breakthrough.

Rovers started the second-half well with Sean O'Connor running at the Bray defence to win a corner that Purcell headed over the bar. On 51 minutes a Treacy cross was knocked back across goal by Tyrell but Amond couldn't get a header on goal. A minute later an inswinging free-kick from Murphy was tipped away by Gough and from the resulting corner Danny O'Connor looked like he was pushed as he attempted a header on goal.

The Hoops should have equalised on 57 minutes when Amond turned a defender to cross low into the path of McGill who shot first time and Gough saved with an outstretched leg. A Ferguson header in the box fell to Sean O'Connor but he slipped as he tried to turn and shoot. Gough did just enough to push away a header from a corner on 65 minutes.

Rovers were beginning to run out of ideas now and it was another ten minutes before McGills long range effort failed to trouble Gough too much. However the Hoops went close a minute later when, from a throw-in, Doyle crossed for Ferguson to hook his shot just wide of the post. Bray had their first chance of the second-half on 79 minutes when Rowe was put through on goal but substitute 'keeper Coleman got down well to save. Coleman was alert again two minutes later to race from his line to deny another Bray counter-attack.

Rover pushed men forward for the last ten minutes and it almost paid dividends right at the death when Doyle sent the ball across goal and it fell to centre-half Barry Ferguson at the back post but he agonisingly shot over the bar from close range.