In a stereotypical game of two halves, Cian Doyle was the late match-winning hero for Bray Wanderers as the Seagulls took a 1-0 win over UCD in the First Division relegation/promotion play-off at the UCD Bowl.
It's a year to the day that the two sides met at the same stage in which the visitors emerged 2-0 winners at the Carlisle Grounds, and held on to progress to the final despite a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture, but in this chapter of the fascinating rivalry, the Students were looking to make the most of home advantage in the first leg.
The home side looked full of confidence from the first whistle, going frustratingly close to opening the scoring with just over 10 minutes on the clock.
Jake Doyle broke free down the left and stood up an inviting cross to the back post, but with the angle against him, Mikey McCullagh cleverly headed back across area. With the goal at his mercy, Hugh Smith just couldn't get his body over the ball and volleyed over from close range.
Looking to go one step further than last season, when they fell at the final hurdle against FAI Cup winners Drogheda United, Bray looked neat and tidy in possession without troubling 17-year-old stand-in keeper Noah Douglas.
Having celebrated their 40-year anniversary since their first League of Ireland game against Longford Town, Bray were left reeling from the news that wonderkid Billy O’Neill’s red card appeal failed meaning he would miss the playoff run and seemed to miss the teenager's spark in the final third.
The hosts continued to look the more likely side to break the deadlock and Doyle was next to have two efforts in quick succession bracelet blocked by the impressive Alain Kizenga.
Approaching the interval they couldn't have gone any closer as Adam Brennan, in almost the same position as Smith earlier, this time smashed the underside of the bar with a volley from 12 yards out that somehow stayed out following a chaotic bout of pinball in the box.
With the game on a knife edge, tension filled the Bowl in the second half as the busy crowd that included some interesting observers in the shape of Cork City’s Dermot Usher and Ger Nash, watched on intently.
Minutes after the restart Cian Curtis showed some good movement in the area to latch onto Guillermo Almirall's clipped cross from the right, but just couldn't generate enough power on his header to trouble Douglas.
Willy O’Connor’s side struggled to halt the visitors momentum and had their teenage stopper to thank for keeping the scores level minutes later. The classy Justin Ferizaj played a clever slide rule ball into the feet of Curtis who, in turn, rifled an early low strike that was well tipped behind.
Substitute Sean Brennan almost haunted his old side creating a glorious chance from deep in midfield, breaking the lines to find Cian Doyle. The midfielder showed great strength to hold off a couple of challenges before whipping the ball back across goal, missing the far post by a matter of inches.
On the balance of play, a draw between the two evenly matched sides looked to be on the cards but the visitors had other ideas. Max Murphy was on point with his delivery into the box, finding Doyle who rose like a salmon to glance home the winner, setting up a mouthwatering return leg by the seaside.
UCD: Noah Douglas; Adam Wells, Declan Osagie, Eanna Clancy, Adam Brennan.; Adam Verdon; Mikey McCullagh (Killian Cailloce, 56’), Ciaran Behan, Brian McManus (Carl Lennox, 46’), Jake Doyle (Louis Dignam, 89’); Hugh Smith (Ronan Finn, 56’)
Subs not used: Karl Andrade, Michael Raggett, Matthew Alonge, Killian Cailloce, Niall Holohan, Colin Bolton
Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran; Alain Kizenga, Killian Cantwell, Harvey Warren, Max Murphy; Justin Ferizaj, Cian Doyle, Rhys Bartley, Guillermo Almirall (Conor Knight, 64’); Rhys Knight (Sean Brennan, 74’), Cian Curtis (Richard Ferizaj, 87’)
Subs not used: Stephen McGuinness, Jamie Duggan, Paul Murphy, Benjamin Fagemi, Cristiano Bramley, Matthew Britton
Referee: Lucas Keating
