Tresson 55
                                        O’Connor 63

Terryland Park
17 August 2001

Bray Wanderers were blessed with a two-nil scoreline on their first trip away of the season.

Fielding a somewhat understrength team, Pat Devlin was nonetheless disappointed with a first half which, although played in a vigorously attacking spirit by both sides, lacked both style and finish.

There were chances at both ends, Philip Keogh on only 6 minutes being deflected for a corner, Thomas Morgan heading over the bar from twelve metres after 13 minutes (above) and Ciaran Ryan narrowly wide from a setpiece on 19, just outside the box.

Bray had somewhat the better of a period in which midfield play looked scrappy, Fox and Keogh both being denied by Eddie Hickey in the Galway goal.

Perhaps the best chance of the half, however, fell to Galway’s Ger Crossley, who was put through from a quick free while the Bray defence was asleep. His effort hit post and keeper before going out for a corner.

Bray were having difficulty in the aerial battles, and looked a little suspect in front of the box. Nevertheless, they appeared the stronger side as the end of the first half approached, and had what seemed a legitimate penalty appeal turned down by referee O’Regan.

After the break, it took only ten minutes of brisk up-and-down football to produce a goal. Ciaran Ryan took the ball up the left flank from inside his own half and following some cleverly worked passing Colm Tresson put the final cross - again from Ryan - into the bottom left of Hickey’s net.

Bray came close again three times in the next four minutes, and it was clear that Pat Devlin had had words during halftime.

On 63, it was Barry O’Connor’s turn to beat the Galway keeper, this time connecting with a Matt Britton cross from the right.

Galway showed considerable resilience, attacking the Wanderers’ goal within a minute, and on 67 minutes Young moved quickly to smother a Galway free kick.

After 79 minutes, at the other end Hickey had to stretch to clear a close-range shot after a goalmouth scramble following a Bray corner.

Five minutes later, Galway were denied by the post and failed to capitalise on the rebound, and they again hit the woodwork two minutes after that.

They pushed forward in the last minutes of normal time but, despite a corner in the ninetieth minute, could make no headway against a Bray defence that seemed to have cleaned up its act.

Afterwards, Devlin said, “the scoreline flattered us.”

“Our first half performance wasn’t up to scratch at all,” he added. “I was very disappointed. It’s three points, but I wouldn’t get carried away by it.”

On the other hand, it was points Galway may rue losing when the Devil-take-the hindmost comes closer next Spring.

by Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Alan Young; 2 Colm Tresson, 3 Ciaran Ryan, 4 Wesley Charles; 5 Michael Doohan, 6 Philip Keogh, 7 Barry O’Connor, 8 Matt Britton, 9 Stephen Fox; 10 Jason Byrne, 11 Thomas Morgan
Subs: 12 Kieran O’Brien (for O’Connor, 90), 14 Keith Long ( for Morgan, 79), 15 Eddie Gormley, 16 Jimmy Fyffe, 17 Maurice Farrell (for Ryan, 90)
Galway United: 1 Eddie Hickey; 2 Sean Byrne, 3 Bobby Byrne, 4 Tom Silke, 5 Billy Clery, 6 Colin Fortune, 7 Daragh Sheridan, 8 Ger Crossley, 9 Adrian Carberry, 10 Bobby Ryan, 11 Alan Murphy
Subs: 12 Derek O’Brien (for Fortune, 28), 13 Nigel Keady, 14 Sean Malee, 15 Brendan O’Connor (for Byrne, 32), 18 Mark Colby
Referee: Aidan O’Regan (Dubllin)