Bray Wanderers 0 –2 Cork City
Cork City returned to second place in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division table following a dominant second-half performance at Bray Wanderers.
John Caulfield stressed the importance of a win at the Carlisle Grounds to maintain their momentum after winning their previous three matches in the league and his side duly delivered with two second-half goals from Sean Maguire and Karl Sheppard.
Maguire opened the scoring to bag his sixth league goal of the season after the ball fell kindly to him in the box from a Kevin O’Connor cross. Bray’s defence failed to deal with the cross but the former West Ham striker punished the error with a typically clinical finish.
Just three minutes later, Cork doubled their advantaged and sealed the win when an uncharacteristic mistake from Bray goalkeeper Peter Cherrie allowed Sheppard to poke home from close range following another Cork City corner.
Sheppard’s strike didn’t appear to have too much power but the ball manage to slip through Cherrie’s hands.
Cork very nearly broke the deadlock just minutes before but Steven Beattie’s downward header was somehow scrambled clear by a combination of defender Alan McNally on the line and Cherrie’s post, after a dazzling run by Maguire on the left flank.
Bray have failed to build on their first win under Harry Kenny against St Pat’s, with the Seagulls being knocked out of the Leinster Senior Cup and EA Sports Cup in recent weeks.
Defeat leaves them in 10th place just one point clear of basement clubs Wexford Youths and Longford Town.
Although Bray can have little to complain about, they were more than a match for their visitors in the first half.
Indeed, the home side had the two best chances in the first period but Robbie Creevy and Ger Pender failed to capitalise.
It was Pender’s clever ball that set Creevy through on goal but the midfielder’s shot was struck straight at Mark McNulty.
On the half-hour, a cross from Hugh Douglas was met by Pender at the near post, but the striker failed to control his volley with his strike going harmlessly over the bar.
It’s a short turnaround for both clubs with both back in league action in midweek. Cork City visit Bohemians on Tuesday night while the task doesn’t get any easier for Bray, who travel to Oriel Park to play reigning champions and league leaders Dundalk on the same night.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Alan McNally, ConorKenna, Jason Marks; Karl Moore, Mark Salmon (DarraghNoone 77’), Robbie Creevy, Dylan Connolly; Ger Pender, Andrew Lewis (Gareth McDonagh 63’).
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Michael McSweeney, Alan Bennett, Johnny Dunleavy, Kevin O’Connor; Steven Beattie (Danny Morrissey 63’), Greg Bolger, Gearoíd Morrissey (Gavan Holohan 44’), Karl Sheppard(Stephen Dooley 88’); Garry Buckley, Sean Maguire.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
