Bray Wanderers 1 Cobh Ramblers 0
Carlisle Grounds, First Division, 29 March 2019
Bray Wanderers ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions with this win over Cobh Ramblers.
Wanderers made two changes to the starting team from last week’s defeat away to Wexford FC. Sean Heaney returned in central defence in place of Hugh Douglas and Richard Purdy came into central midfield in place of the injured Paul Keegan.
Dylan McGlade was first to test the visiting keeper when O’Halloran’s cross from the left fell to him, but his shot was easily saved by Adam Mylod after just two minutes. Dylan Barnett fired a free kick straight at Mylod on 11 minutes. Three minutes later Joe Doyle headed just wide from a Barnett cross from the left.
Wanderers made the breakthrough in the 24th minute. Philip Gannon fired an effort from the edge of the area that Mylod couldn’t hold and Joe Doyle was on hand to fire the loose ball to the net.
Cobh’s best effort came when Turner fired straight at Sava who saved easily on 53 minutes. A minute later, O’Halloran played in Doyle who broke free, but he shot straight at Mylod. McGlade’s cross from the right on 70 minutes was met by Dderek Daly but Mylod blocked his shot from close range.
In the closing stages McGlade broke free on the right and drilled a low cross that evaded his team mates.
This was Wanderers 11th successive victory over Cobh Ramblers, a run stretching back to 2000.
Bray Wanderers: 1 Gabriel Sava; 22 Luke Nolan, 5 Sean Heaney, 4 Kilian Cantwell, 3 Dylan Barnett; 7 Dean O’Halloran, 8 Philip Gannon, 24 Richie Purdy, 11 Derek Daly; 10 Dylan McGlade; 9 Joe Doyle
Subs: 2 Hugh Douglas, 12 Andrew McGovern, 15 Darragh Gibbons, 16 Adam Hayden (gk), 17 Luka Lovic (for R. Purdy 74), 19 Brandon McCann, 21 Anthony Purdy.
Cobh Ramblers: 12 Adam Mylod; 15 Charlie Lyons, 5 James McSweeney, 2 Kevin Taylor, 14 Stephen Christopher, 17 Denzil Fernandes, 6 David Hurley, 10 Stephen Kenny, 8 Shane O’Connor (c), 7 Ian Turner, 19 Jaze Kabia
Subs: 1 Paul Hunt (gk), 16 James O’Driscoll, 18 Stephen O’Leary (for Kenny 65), 20 Brian Murphy (for Turner 70), 22 Michael O’Rourke, 33 Matthew Lamb.
Referee: Andrew Mullally
Attendance: 541
Match Report: Michael Duffy