24.06.16 – Sligo Rovers 0 Bray Wanderers 0

Sligo Rovers 0 Bray Wanderers 0

Premier Division, Showgrounds 24 Jun 2016

Wanderers held out for a share of the spoils in the Showgrounds, which will be more valuable to the Wicklow team than to their hosts.

Though Sligo played an attacking game, the visitors had the only shot on target in the first period, and the only corners, too.

The pattern repeated in the second half, with Sligo keeper Mícheál Schlingermann tested several times and his Bray counterpart, Peter Cherrie, only in serious action twice.

Between them, the teams racked up ten cards, which seems a touch excessive in what was not by any means a dirty game.

The home side started with a flourish, Jordan Richards seeking Liam Martin with a cross in the opening minutes, but Bray skipper Conor Kenna intervened, and moments later John Russell – who was lively throughout – shot wide from distance.

Bray had a half-chance minutes after mail order synthroid that, Dylan Connolly creating space on the left after muscling past Tobi Adebayo-Rowling before pulling the trigger, but Schlingermann was able for it.

Hugh Douglas’s challenge on Russell at the quarter-hour mark resulted in his heading the list in referee Ray Matthews’s book.

Mark Salmon had the ball in the net from a Drew Lewis cross 21 minutes in, but the goal was ruled out by the offside flag.

Lewis himself was unlucky to see his volley fly past the far post following the Sligo keeper’s struggle to clear a Ryan Brennan’s corner just past the half hour.

Russell had a purple patch after that, feeding Jimmy Keohane who couldn’t direct his header, and then trying his own luck, but again missing from just outside the area.

Kenna saw his nodded effort from another Brennan corner slide across the goalmouth during early exchanges in the second half.

Minutes later, Keohane had a good effort but Cherrie got down smartly to smother.

Moments after that Adebayo-Rowling produced a run that fed Kieran Sadlier for a shot that rolled just wide.

And then Brennan tested the Bit o’Red keeper with a curling effort, the rebound falling to Lewis, but his volley only found the side-netting.

On the hour, Martin was in action, skipping past Bray players up the right but ending with a shot he couldn’t keep down.

The Sligo danger-man earned his side a free when he tangled with Mark Salmon just outside the area, but Sadlier drilled the dead-ball into the Bray wall.

With barely a quarter hour remaining, home captain Craig Roddan was on target from just outside the area, but Cherrie held it well, and minutes later Schlingermann did well to parry a curling shot by Connolly.

Sligo substitute Philip Roberts had a good opportunity across the Bray goal on 79 minutes, but it ended just past the far post, and the visitors held on for the point.

Bray Wanderers: 1 Peter Cherrie; 2 Hugh Douglas (yc), 5 Alan McNally, 4 Conor Kenna (c, yc), 24 Seán Harding; 10 Karl Moore (yc), 7 Ryan Brennan, 8 Mark Salmon (yc), 16 Dylan Connolly; 23 Gareth McDonagh (yc); 18 Andrew Lewis
Subs: 6 Alan Byrne, 9 Dean Kelly (for Lewis 78), 11 Jason Marks, 13 Daniel Blackbyrne, 17 Gerard Pender, 30 Kieran Butler, 50 Aaron Shanahan (gk)
Sligo Rovers: 1 Mícheál Schlingermann; 2 Olutobi Adebayo-Rowling (yc), 14 Gary Boylan, 4 Michael Leahy, 3 Regan Donelon; 17 Jimmy Keohane (yc), 8 Craig Roddan (c), 18 John Russell (yc), 11 Kieran Sadlier, 12 Jordan Richards (yc); 27 Liam Martin
Subs: 5 Tim Clancy, 7 Chris Lyons, 9 Philip Roberts (for Martin 69), 16 Ciaran Nugent (gk), 20 Gary Armstrong, 24 Michael Place, 28 Jaanai Gordon (for Sadlier 80)
Referee: Raymond Matthews

Compiled by Micheal O’hUanachain