Bray Wanderers 3 Rovers 0

************* Eircom League *************
Bray Wanderers 3
Cawley 54', Delaney 81', O'Shea 82'

Shamrock Rovers 0

Carlisle Grounds - Tuesday 2nd Oct 2007

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On a damp night in Bray this game exploded in the 34th minute when Referee Hancock with the assistance of a Linesman sent off Barry Murphy for handball outside the box. Murphy had come off his line as a Bray through ball looked like it would breach the Hoops defence but stand in centre-half Ger O'Brien got his head to it and Murphy instinctively got his hand to the ball. The ball headed for goal but Cassidy had got back to clear for a corner. The Ref. at first done nothing but was then called over by the Linesman and duly gave Barry a straight red card. The fact that Cassidy had got back behind Murphy counted for nothing.

The game had not got going up to then with Bray shading the first half-hour. Robbie Clarke done well to head a deflected ball off his own line in the 14th minute and Murphy made a good stop from a quickly taken free-kick. But the Hoops had barely got over the bombshell of having their 'keeper sent off when just 4 minutes later Paul Shields was given a straight red card when he was adjudged to have raised his hand after a minor scuffle following a Rovers free-kick.

The game had a surreal feel to it as the Hoops began the second half and the home side had them under a lot of pressure in the opening 10 minutes and after a couple of missed chances they took the lead through Cawleys fine strike from 25 yards. The Hoops never gave up and the introduction of Ger Rowe gave them renewed hope. Rowe almost got Purcell through on goal but Delaney stretched out a foot to intercept the ball in the 67th minute.

Bray had all the possession but Rovers held on and Cassidy curled a free-kick across Williams goal in the 72nd minute. Rowe then had the best chance of the game when his low 20 yard free-kick just went wide in the 74th minute.

The eleven men of Bray got their act together to finish strongly against a tiring Rovers and Delaney finished off a fine move to score their second goal. O'Shea wrapped up the game just a minute later. The Hoops trudged off the pitch at the final whistle and must lift themselves for Fridays game in Cork.

Line-Out

1 Barry Murphy
2 David Cassidy
3 Robbie Clarke
4 Ger O’Brien
5 Barry Ferguson
6 Paul Shields
7 John Martin
8 Eric McGill
9 Tadhg Purcell
10 Andy Myler
11 Dave Tyrell


Substitutes :

13 Alan Reynolds
14 Chris Mulhall
15 Eoin Doyle for Purcell 73'
16 John McGuinness for Myler 34'
17 Ger Rowe for Tyrell 62'