Bray Wanderers 0-1 Cork City
Kieran Djilali broke brave Bray Wanderers' resolve with his first goal for Cork City as they laboured to beat ten men at the Carlisle Grounds.
Bray looked like holding out for an unlikely first point of the season as they frustrated Cork when a man down for more than half the game following midfielder Graham Kelly's harsh red card.
But Substitute Djilali struck on 84 minutes to turn home from close range following a goalmouth scramble to lift Cork up to second place in the table.
As they desperately sought their first goal and points of the season, Bray made five changes to the side beaten at Longford Town midweek.
But with a stiff breeze in their faces, Mathews’ young side were on the back foot against a vastly more experienced Cork from the off.
John O’Flynn headed over the top from Alan Bennett’s cross on five minutes to set the tone for the visitors.
Two minutes later Darren Dennehy should have done better than hook his volley over the bar after O’Flynn had nodded down Billy Dennehy’s corner.
Bray keeper Stephen McGuinness had to make his first stop of the evening on 12 minutes when turning Karl Sheppard’s angled drive out for a corner after Liam Miller had played him through.
McGuinness was there to gather minutes later when Sheppard just couldn’t get a decent enough touch to turn home a Billy Dennehy free kick in from the right.
Admirably, Bray grew into the game with Kelly getting a shot off before Emeka Onwubiko lobbed just over the bar from strike partner Gareth McDonagh’s clever flick just past the half hour.
But a most contentious decision by Tipperary referee Jim McKell knocked Bray back on their heels on 36 minutes.
Kelly’s sliding tackle in from behind on Billy Dennehy was perhaps worthy of a yellow card, but surely not the red that was promptly brandished.
Sheppard should have seen Cork ahead at the interval, but drilled wide across goal when played through superbly by skipper John Dunleavy on 42 minutes.
Then, in first half stoppage time, Bray captain Adam Mitchell had to clear off the line from Bennett’s header from another Billy Dennehy corner.
McGuinness parried a Billy Dennehy free-kick as the one-way traffic continued into the second half.
The Bray keeper was there again on 65 minutes to push away a stinging drive from City’s impressive right-back John Kavanagh.
Cork thought they’d finally taken the lead on 77 minutes, but once more
McGuinness batted away substitute Gavan Holohan’s back post header from another Billy Dennehy corner.
But the pressure finally told six minutes from time. McGuinness flapped away Hugh Douglas' sliced attempted clearance.
The ball was return by Holohan with an overhead kick for Djilali to shoot home from very close range.
Bray Wanderers: Stephen McGuinness; Michael Barker, Adam Mitchell, Hugh Douglas, Daniel O’Reilly; Peter McGlynn, Ryan McEvoy, Graham Kelly, Adam Hanlon (Jack Memery 69); Emeka Onwubiko (Chris Lyons 59), Gareth McDonagh (Luke Gallagher 40).
Cork City: Mark McNulty; John Kavanagh, Alan Bennett, Darren Dennehy, Ross Gaynor; John Dunleavy (Gavan Holohan h/t), Dan Murray; Billy Dennehy, Liam Miller, Karl Sheppard (Mark O'Sullivan 60); John O'Flynn (Kieran Djilali 67).
Referee: Jim McKell (Tipperary).
