Sligo Rovers 2-1 Bray Wanderers
Tuesday, 7 April 2009 22:39A double from Rafael Cretaro saw Sligo Rovers finally take their first win of the season at The Showgrounds.
Cretaro opened the scoring with his second goal in two games after just four minutes. It came after the striker controlled a long ball and played a neat one-two with Owen Morrison before sliding the ball under Bray keeper Chris O'Connor.
However, Bray were back on level terms just before the half-hour and it was another sloppy goal that is sure to have infuriated Rovers manager Paul Cook.
Dane Massey swung in a free from the right, but the Rovers rearguard missed it completely, and Paul Byrne was unmarked at back-post to head to the net.
Cretaro, however, repeated the dose at the start of the second half, when Morrison's superb ball released the striker to fire past O'Connor from just inside the area.
The persistent rain made conditions difficult and Rovers defender Gavin Peers almost got his side in trouble with a poor first half backpass, but keeper Richard Brush rescued the situation.
Byrne thought he had got another equaliser with 20 minutes left, but his close range shot was blocked by a brilliant save from Brush.
Rovers welcomed back Danny Ventre from suspension, with Romuald Boco returning to a striker's position. Mauro Almeida failed to make the squad, however, as injury again curtailed the centre-back's involvement.
Bray were still without Paddy Kavanagh, Derek Pender and Dave Mulcahy, and boss Eddie Gormley kept faith with the 11 that defeated St Pat's 2-1 last Friday.
Sligo Rovers: Brush, Ventre, Peers, Keane, Holmes, Morrison (Feeney 75), O'Grady (captain) (Torpey 88), Ryan, Doherty (McLaughlin 75), Cretaro, Boco.
Bray: O'Connor, Webster, Foran, Deans, Massey, McCabe (Mulroy 65), Brennan (captain), Shiels, Kelly (Coughlan 57), Flood (Doyle 78), Byrne.
Referee: P Tuite.
