BRAY WANDERERS 0-4 BOHEMIANS
                                          Morrison 13
                                          O’Neill 56, 74
                                          Crowe 77

FAI Cup Quarter Final (replay)

Carlisle Grounds
12 February 2002

photo by Michael Tierney

Time to confront reality across the Field of Dreams where Bohemians comprehensively defeated Bray Wanderers to enter the Semi-Finals of the FAI Cup. It will be little consolation to the home players that their real achievement lay in bridging the gap in class at Dalymount four days earlier to bring their opponents back to the Carlisle for last night’s replay. Nor will it ease their frustration that a four goal margin exaggerates the visitors’ territorial advantage.

The opening goal, just after 13 minutes, summed up the contradictions of the evening. An incisive run down the left by Simon Webb left two Bray defenders floundering to allow Crowe to set up Morrison. Great stuff. But his shot was cruelly deflected off Jody Lynch to beat Gregg. Sheer chance.

For all their huffing and puffing Wanderers provided little of the good football on view. Normally accomplished finishers like Tresson, Keegan, Byrne and Fox all failed to take advantage of opportunities and Wayne Russell, a scary sprint to fly kick the ball off Byrne’s toe apart, had a comfortable night. When he was beaten by Keegan on the stroke of half time, Hawkins was on hand to head off the line.

For the most part O’Connor floundered and Fox’s performance was a good illustration of Seagulls all at sea. In the original tie he was prone to occasional error but redeemed by a combative spirit that won him the Man of the Match award. In the replay he was merely error prone and Matt Britton, whose tackling had also been so incisive at Dalymount, was simply overwhelmed by the combination of Webb and Morrison down the Bohs left flank.

Keeper Gregg, another Bray hero in Dublin, made one good save with his legs to prevent Caffrey cementing a Bohs victory as early as the 18th minute. The dénouement was thus delayed until ten minutes into the second half when Gary O’Neill deflated Bray’s attempts at a revival. A swift passing movement opened up the home defence and Crowe provided the perfect pass for the substitute striker to slide the ball home at close range.

O’Neill was on because his manager Stephen Kenny had wisely replaced Molloy at half time. Booked early in the game, Molloy had contrived to steer Philip Keogh into a boundary wall during a touchline tussle before the interval. After the stunned Bray midfielder had confronted Molloy with a push that earned him a yellow card, an already frustrated Carlisle crowd were not best pleased to learn that the original crime merely warranted a free kick, and not a second yellow. All perfectly correct, but referee Dick O’Hanlon, no candidate for the diplomatic service, hardly helped with his impression of “Indignant of Tipperary”.

photo by Michael Tierney

The game was already over, but boss Pat Devlin tried to revive Bray’s fortunes by ringing the changes. Britton and O’Connor departed and defender Doohan tried his luck up front alongside Jason Byrne and Keegan. There was some confusion and much shrugging in a central defence now comprised of Tresson, Lynch and Keogh. Against opponents as sophisticated as the Eircom League champions, such tactics, which have served the Seagulls well this season, were always high risk. O’Neill duly scored a second goal on the break after 74 minutes, netting at the second attempt after Gregg had blocked his first effort. Three minutes later Crowe completed the rout with a long range free kick which was deflected past the unsighted Gregg to scuttle in at his right post. For those Bray supporters among the reported 7,000 crowd who stayed it was a long last half hour.

What a transformation in this Bohemians team since manager Kenny took over in the dugout just before Christmas. The only newcomer on the pitch, craggy central defender Colin Hawkins, has been a key signing. Now the Eircom League champions are displaying Premier pedigree. Wanderers, in the second season of their return to the top flight, must consolidate. Manager Devlin’s objective has always been a place at the top ten table for the introduction of summer soccer in Ireland. It’s a realistic goal, but now he and his staff have to restore shattered confidence prior to Sunday’s visit from high-flying Shelbourne. As for Stephen Kenny, he must be feeling a little happier than he did after his last visit to the Carlisle four months ago when his previous charges, Longford Town, suffered a 5-1 hiding. As one Mr Greaves once said, “Funny old game, init?”

by Brian de Salvo

Bray Wanderers: 1 Matt Gregg; 7 Matt Britton, 5 Michael Doohan, 4 Jody Lynch, 2 Colm Tresson; 11 Barry O’Connor, 8 Philip Keogh, 9 Stephen Fox, 6 Eddie Gormley; 16 Paul Keegan, 10 Jason Byrne
Subs: 12 Kieran O’Brien, 13 Wesley Charles, 14 Thomas Morgan (for O’Connor, 59), 15 Paul Forsyth (for Britton, 66), 17 Keith Long (for Gormley, 79)
Bohemians: 1 Wayne Russell; 2 Tony O’Connor, 5 Colin Hawkins, 6 Avery John, 3 Simon Webb; 8 Fergal Harkin, 11 Stephen Caffrey, 4 Kevin Hunt, 7 David Morrison; 9 Trevor Molloy, 10 Glen Crowe
Substitutes : 12 Tony Folan (for Harkin, 72), 13 Michael Dempsey (gk), 14 Paul Byrne 15 David Hill (for Hawkins, 79), 16 Gary O’Neill (for Molloy, HT)
Referee: Dick O’Hanlon

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