Bray Wanderers 1-2 Galway United
An audacious first goal for the club from Marc Ludden sealed victory for Galway United at the Carlisle Grounds to move them back up to fifth place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table.
Eric Foley had given Galway a first-half lead from a cracking free-kick and while Andrew Lewis pulled a goal back in stoppage time it was too little too late for second bottom Bray, who slumped to a fourth successive defeat.
In a start as bright as the seaside sunshine, Bray really should have taken the lead inside two minutes.
Ryan Brennan put Hugh Douglas’ cross back across goal to set up Ger Pender who somehow contrived to shoot wide with the goal at his mercy.
But Galway soon took a hold in midfield to take a firm grip on the game.
Bray keeper Peter Cherrie got away with a clearance that hit Ruairi Keating to go wide before the westerners struck for the lead goal on 19 minutes.
Vinny Flaherty was fouled by Douglas to win a free kick which Foley despatched superbly, finding the far top corner of Cherrie’s net.
It might have been 2-0 four minutes later but for Ruairi Keating blazing over off target after Ludden’s ball over the top put him through.
Galway remained on top with Cherrie, despite appearing to be struggling with a slight injury, doing well to push a shot from Keating round his left-hand post after Colm Horgan beat a defender on the right to set him up.
But it was Cherrie’s opposite number, Conor Winn, who ensured that Galway remained ahead at the interval with a terrific double save on 42 minutes.
First Winn batted away a Brennan shot with one hand. The ball fell straight for midfielder Robbie Creepy’s whose header Winn then touched onto his crossbar and out for a corner.
Though Bray showed more impetus on the resumption, Galway who were inches from increasing their lead on 48 minutes.
Kevin Devaney slalomed in from theft to tee up Foley’s whose right-foot drive shaved the outside of Cherrie’s right-hand post.
Bray brought in Dean Kelly for Mark Salmon just before the hour mark as they went 4-4-2 in chasing the game.
Minutes later Dylan Connolly, somewhat anonymous up to then, curled a right-foot shot off the Galway crossbar.
Devaney continued to cause Bray problems and he weaved in again from the left on 67 minutes to force Cherrie to put the ball out for a corner at the butt of his post.
Again the woodwork would thwart Bray back at the other end minutes later when Bennan’s free kick bounced over off the top of Winn’s bar.
Winn then saved with his feet as Connolly cut in on the left to shoot.
But Galway doubled their lead on 76 minutes when Ludden caught Cherrie off his line to score from 40 yards after Douglas blocked away Devaney’s drive.
Bray rallied late on with substitute Lewis pulling a goal back with a close range volley on 91 minutes, but Galway held on for a big win.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Conor Kenna, Alan McNally, Jason Marks; Dylan Connolly, Mark Salmon (Dean Kelly 59), Robbie Creevy, Karl Moore; Ryan Brennan; Ger Pender (Andrew Lewis 75).
Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Armin Aganovic, Stephen Walsh (Kilian Cantrell 62), Marc Ludden; Gary Shanahan, Alex Byrne, Eric Foley, Kevin Devaney; Ruairi Keating (Jesse Devers 90+5), Vinny Faherty (Paul Sinnott 86).
Referee: Adrian Reale (Kildare).
