Dundalk 3-0 Bray Wanderers

Dundalk recorded their first win in five attempts as they easily overcame a disappointing Bray Wanderers 3-0 at Oriel Park.

The home side were handed a dream start when they went ahead after just 28 seconds. Good work by Ger Rowe allowed Shaun Kelly the chance to centre from the right. His cross was only half cleared by Derek Foran and Chris Turner was on hand to smash home with a neat volley from the edge of the box.

Bray knocked the ball about brightly without ever creating any clear-cut chances. Their best opportunity came in the 19th minute when Gareth Coughlan hooked the ball over the bar from after some indecision by Chris Bennion in the Lilywhites goal.

Dundalk's second goal arrived eight minutes later. Tiarnan Mulvenna and Rowe combined beautifully and the latter drilled the ball past Chris O'Connor for his first Dundalk goal.

Kelly almost made it 3-0 minutes later but his goal-bound effort was blocked by David Webster. At the other end, Darren Forsyth went down under a challenge from Liam Burns when he would have been better off pulling the trigger.

Mulvenna scored his first Premier Division goal 11 minutes into the second-half and it is doubtful that he has ever netted an easier strike. A terrible mix-up between O'Connor and Stephen Brennan allowed the 20-year-old striker the opportunity to roll the ball into an empty net.

Rowe then went close to making it 4-0 with a 25-yard effort that went wide, while Mulvenna almost added to his tally with a good first-time effort that O'Connor was relieved to see fly over his crossbar.

Dundalk: Bennion; Simon Kelly, Burns, Heary, Synnott; Shaun Kelly, Turner (McGinlay, 69) Daly (Coburn, HT), Mulvenna; Mansaram (O'Brien, 18), Rowe.

Bray Wanderers: O'Connor; Doyle, Foran,Webster, Massey; Coughlan (Mulcahy, HT), Brennan, Shields, McCabe; Forsyth (Byrne, HT), Kelly.

Referee: Neil Doyle.