Longford Town 2 Bray Wanderers 0
City Calling Stadium, First Division, 13 April 2019
Longford were full value for their win which took them to the top of the First division. This was Wanderers fourth league defeat from their last five league games. More worrying for Wanderers is the fact that they have only scored one league goal in their last five league games.
Hugh Douglas and Richie Purdy returned to the starting line up in place of the injured duo of Joe Doyle and Philip Gannon.
The home side took the lead after eight minutes. Anto Breslin’s corner from the right was headed home by Michael McDonnell who outjumped the Bray defence. Sean Heaney blasted over the Longford bar following a Dylan McGlade corner on24 minutes.
Sava saved well from Evans on the half hour mark. Wanderers found it difficult to get going and fell further behind on 34 minutes. Lee Steacy picked out Aodh Dervin and he drove on before passing to Peter Hopkins who rounded Sava and slotted home. Wanderers first real chance of the game fell to Killian Cantwell just before the break but his shot went just wide of Steacy’s post.
Wanderers improved slightly in the second half with more possession but never threatened Steacy in the Longford goal. On 78 minutes Sean Brennan fed Verdon on the edge of the Bray area and his shot forced Sava into a save.
Longford Town: 1 Lee Steacy; 12 Conor Kenna, 2 Shane Elworthy, 5 Michael McDonnell, 3 Anto Breslin, 7 Peter Hopkins, 16 Aodh Dervin, 23 Sean Brennan, 6 Dean Zambra; 11 Adam Evans; 30 Sam Verdon
Subs: 9 Jamie Doyle, 15 Kevin Knight, 17 Paul O’Conor (for Brennan 87), 18 Jack Menton (gk), 19 Karl Chambers (for Hopkins 89), 20 Dean Byrne (for Evans 81), 22 Joseph Manley
Bray Wanderers: 1 Gabriel Sava; 22 Luke Nolan, 2 Hugh Douglas, 5 Sean Heaney, 4 Kilian Cantwell, 3 Dylan Barnett; 11 Derek Daly, 6 Paul Keegan, 7 Dean O’Halloran; 10 Dylan McGlade; 9 Joe Doyle
Subs: 12 Andrew McGovern, 15 Darragh Gibbons, 16 Adam Hayden (gk), 17 Luka Lovic (for Heaney 72), 19 Brandon McCann (for R.Purdy 82), 21 Anthony Purdy, 29 Conor Behan
Referee: Jason Mannix
Attendance: 523
Match Report: Michael Duffy