Bray Wanderers 3 Derry City 2
Premier Division, Carlisle Grounds, 16 June 2017.
Wanderers made three changes to the starting line up from their previous game in Limerick a forthnight ago. Dylan Connolly and John Sullivan both missed out through suspension while Keith Buckley was injured. Tim Clancy dropped to the bench. Hugh Douglas came in for his first start in two months while there were starts for Derek Foran and Anto Flood.
After just five minutes Doherty was forced into saving a shot from Darragh Noone. Wanderers took the lead a minute later when Noone connected with a cross from Kevin Lynch. On 13 minutes Gary McCabe broke clear down the right but could only fire straight at the Derry keeper. Derry were level on 22 minutes when Low played in Ronan Curtis and he fired low past Cherrie.
Wanderers went ahead again on the stroke of half time when Ryan Brennan headed home from a Gary McCabe free kick on the left. Two minutes into the second half, Derry were level when Nathan Boyle fired past Cherrie from the edge of the box.
Wanderers went ahead for a third time on 81 minutes. Gary McCabe’s corner from the right was flicked on at the front post and Tim Clancy managed to force the ball under Doherty at the back post.
Derry had chances for an equaliser in the later stages. Firstly, Hugh Douglas was forced to block a Ronan Curtis shot and then Aaron McEneff’s shot was brilliantly saved by Cherrie.
Wanderers ended Derry’s ten game unbeaten run and recorded their first win in six league games to move back up to third in the table.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Kevin Lynch, Conor Kenna, Derek Foran, Mark Salmon, Darragh Noone, Gary McCabe, Ryan Brennan, Anto Flood; Aaron Greene. Subs: Tim Clancy (for Foran 57), Jason Marks (for Lynch 67, Karl Moore (for Brennan 80), Ger Pender, Jamie Aherne, Ryan Robinson, Lee Steacy (gk).
Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Harry Monaghan, Conor McDermott, Aaron Barry, Dean Jarvis; Josh Daniels, Aaron McEneff, Nicky Low, Ronan Curtis; Barry McNamee; Nathan Boyle Subs: Rory Patterson, Eric Grimes, Rory Holden, Mark Timlin (for Daniels 83), Ben Doherty (for Monaghan 86), Scott Whiteside, Lucas Schubert.
Referee: Robert Hennessey
Report: Michael Duffy