Bohemians 2-1 Bray Wanderers
Bohemians moved 12 points clear of the Premier Division drop zone with a deserved 2-1 victory over Bray Wanderers in Dalymount Park.
President Higgins was in attendance as Dinny Corcoran and Jason Byrne scored at both ends of the pitch and Eoin Wearen saw red late on.
Bray boss Alan Matthews was without the services of David Cassidy, Dave Scully, Ismahil Akinade and Micheal Barker through suspension after last week’s victory over UCD.
Bohemians boss Owen Heary made just one change to the team that lost to Dundalk with Dave Mulachy back to captain the side for Craig Walsh.
Both sides had chances in a lively opening, Bray’s Michael McDonagh’s shot lacked conviction after 10 minutes, when Jake Kelly slipped him in on goal.
Kevin Devaney was the epicentre of Bohs’ attacks and his curling effort was just wide on eight minutes, then setting up Corcoran’s weak effort 60 seconds later.
Bohs hit the front after just 10 minutes, direct from a Bray attack as Roberto Lopes cleared Adam Hanlon’s effort, finding Corcoran to head home.
Hanlon had caused Bohs small headaches in the opening exchanges, Derek Pender blocking Hanlon’s effort and Lopes clearing the length of the pitch.
Lopes' clearance found Corcoran who out jumped Joe Gorman, flicking his header high over Bray stopper Stephen McGuinness from the edge of the box.
McGuinness was at his best after 17 minutes. Corcoran turned provider, freeing Devaney into the box but the Bray keeper was quick to smother the shot.
Dean Delany was equal to the visitors’ only notable effort of the remainder of the second half as Sean Noble gathered Eoin Wearen misplaced pass.
Delany was down low and fast to gather Noble’s effort from the edge of the box.
Bray slowed the game down from the frantic opening, though McGuinness was alert just before the break, when Lopes found Byrne.
The veteran found space in the box to flick Lopes cross goalward, however, McGuinness was alert to gather the former Bray man’s goal-bound effort.
15 minutes after the restart and Bohs doubled their lead, Devaney tore Bray open down the right wing setting up Corcoran.
He weighted his effort across Stephen McGuinness for Byrne to riffle high into the net for his sixth league goal of the season.
Bray looked to respond immediately and centre back David Webster crossed for Kelly to flash a header across goal.
The home side looked to add to their lead as Karl Moore’s 56th-minute cross, found Byrne who could only head straight at the Bray keeper.
10 minutes later Bray were unexpectedly back in the game after their first corner of the second half, just moment after Devaney shot wide from outside the box.
Delany was alert to claw away Kelly in swinging corner with Byrne on hand to help with the clearance.
Kelly collected Byrne’s clearance, his drag back from the by-line evaded Delany’s foot block and trickled in off the helpless Byrne.
Delany was alert to keep Kelly out less than two minutes later, Kelly wiggling past Memory and driving a shot low at the Bohs stopper.
Second-half substitute Paddy Kavanagh squandered a chance to wrap the points up for the hosts 12 minutes from time.
Kavanagh won the ball back from Joe Gorman and flicked the ball across the goal, expecting Corcoran and wasting the chance to seal the points.
Delany denied Bray three minutes from the end, Kelly spinning a left footed curler from the right wing but the keeper was comfortable in gathering.
Bohs were looking to run down the clock, when Wearen tangled with David Webster in the Bray box.
Wearen then kicked out at Webster and left referee Kevin O’Regan no choice but to brandish a red card three minutes into stoppage time.
Bohemians: Delany, Pender, Lopes, Price, Memory, Devaney (Walsh 85), Mulcahy, Wearen, Moore (Buckley 89), Corcoran, Byrne
Subs not used: McEvoy, Hyland, Kavanagh, Evans, Shanahan
Bray Wanderers: McGuinness, Cooney, Webster, Gorman, Moloney (Brown 55), Noble (Brown 66), Zambra, G.Kelly, Hanlon, McDonagh, J.Kelly
Subs not used: McGill, Hughes, Rossiter, Sheridan
Referee: Kevin O’Regan
