Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Bray Wanderers
The relief was palpable around Tallaght Stadium as a terrific late free-kick from Brandon Miele gave Shamrock Rovers a laboured first win in five games.
Pat Fenlon’s Hoops had to work desperately hard for the precious three points as defeat was harsh on a Bray Wanderers side who frustrated their hosts for most of the match at Tallaght Stadium.
That is until a desperately poor game’s redeeming moment arrived on 88 minutes.
Midfielder Miele, upended on the edge of the area by Bray defender Niall Cooney, stepped up to blast the resulting direct free kick through the wall to the net.
Battling Bray had a stoppage time chance to level, but skipper David Cassidy fired wide across goal.
The win moves Rovers five points clear of St Patrick’s Athletic - who have played a game less - in third place, which would guarantee a coveted Europa League place come the end of the season.
Rovers brought skipper Conor Kenna and former Republic of Ireland internationals Stephen McPhail and Damien Duff back into their starting XI following their defeat in Derry on Friday.
Bray welcomed right-back Hugh Douglas back from suspension while Adam Hanlon made his first start in two months.
A poor attendance made for a muted atmosphere as Bray started confidently; Chris Lyons had a seventh-minute drive blocked by Kenna after being set up by Graham Kelly.
Bray’s Cassidy then got away on the right five minutes later to whip over a dangerous cross that forced Kenna to concede the first corner of the game.
Rovers struggled to create much early on and it was 18 minutes before they threatened the Bray goal with a diagonal ball from McPhail cleared by the alert Michael Barker.
The Bray left-back again did well five minutes later to snuff out the threat of Mikey Drennan, who tried to latch onto a through ball from Duff.
Rovers’ first real shot in anger arrived a minute later when Miele was off target from distance.
But it was Bray, with a good shape and organisation about them, who delivered the first half’s only shot on target on 26 minutes. John Sullivan fed Lyons in the inside right channel and the little striker cleverly skipped around Max Blanchard to bring a tip-over save from Barry Murphy with a crisp right-foot drive.
With Bray continuing to look the more dangerous side, Blanchard did get tighter to deflect a shot from Kelly out for a corner on 34 minutes. Hugh Douglas got his head to Ryan McEvoy’s delivery to glance his effort well wide.
Thankfully, there was a little more impetus to the game on the resumption.
Rovers’ keeper Murphy made a comfortable save from Hanlon’s weak shot before Drennan ran through to bring a more telling stop from Peter Cherrie at the other end on 52 minutes.
Cherrie was worked again just past the hour when getting a vital touch to tip over the top after Gavin Brennan cut in on the right to work the Bray keeper with a stinging left-foot effort.
Bray remained well in the game, though, and carved out perhaps their best opening on 70 minutes. Cassidy found himself in space on the right to put over a low cross to the near post which McEvoy, at a stretch, toed narrowly wide.
The contest then looked to be heading to stalemate until Miele's late intervention secured the points for the hosts.
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Simon Madden, Conor Kenna, Max Blanchard, David O’Connor; Gavin Brennan, Gary McCabe (Ryan Brennan, 90), Stephen McPhail (Patrick Cregg 72), Brandon Miele; Damien Duff (Danny North 67); Mikey Drennan.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Niall Cooney, Alan McNally, Michael Barker; David Cassidy, Graham Kelly, John Sullivan, Ryan McEvoy, Adam Hanlon (Adam Wixted 83); Chris Lyons (Dave Scully 80) .
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin)
