Bray Wanderers 0 Galway United 0
First Division Promotion Play off first leg
Carlisle Grounds
3 November 2021
In a game of limited opportunities this first division promotion play off was a tense affair with neither goalkeeper tested too much. Bray made four changes to the team that lost to Wexford last Friday. Andrew Quinn, Mark Byrne, Ryan Graydon and Joe Doyle all started. Dylan Barnett, Darren Craven and Luka Lovic dropped to the bench while Callum Thompson missed out through suspension. dropping to the bench.
Bray started brightly and Brandon Kavanagh fired over from the edge of the area after been set up by Gary Shaw on three minutes. Joe Doyle fired a shot across goal that just evaded Shaw. Galway’s best chance of the game came on 65 minutes when Wilson Waweru found himself through on a one on one with Brian Maher but the Ireland under 21 goalkeeper stood strong to deny the striker.
Wanderers lost Dan jones through injury which meant a reshuffle with Richie O’Farrell dropping back to left full and Luka Lovic coming into midfield. Lovic’s introduction saw an improvement from the home side. Lovic failed to make a good connection to a cross from the right when he found himself free on the left. Galway’s Padraic Cunningham was booked for a dive in the area late in the game.
The sides will meet in the second leg on Sunday in Eamonn Deacy Park at 5.00pm
Bray Wanderers: 1 Brian Maher; 8 Mark Byrne, 4 Andrew Quinn, 5 Aaron Barry (c), 15 Daniel Jones; 6 Conor Clifford; 14 Richie O’Farrell, 11 Brandon Kavanagh, 7 Ryan Graydon; 9 Joe Doyle, 10 Gary Shaw
Subs: 3 Dylan Barnett, 16 Darren Craven (for Shaw, 72), 17 Luka Lovic (for Jones, 56), 19 Darragh Lynch, 20 Ryan Bowden, 22 Steven Kinsella, 25 Kian Clarke (Gk), 28 Sam Verdon, 30 Jack Ross (Gk)
Booked: Mark Byrne (39), Conor Clifford (63).
Galway United: 16 Conor Kearns; 2 Conor O’Keeffe, 4 Gary Boylan, 32 Joe Gorman, 3 Stephen Walsh; 22 Conor McCormack; 6 Maurice Nugent, 10 David Hurley, 7 Ruairi Keating, 14 Mikie Rowe; 18 Wilson Waweru
Subs: 1 Luke Dennison (Gk), 5 Killian Brouder, 8 Dean O’Shea, 9 Padraic Cunningham (for Waweru 76), 11 Shane Doherty (for Boylan 76), 12 Christopher Horgan, 15 Carlton Ubaezuonu, 25 Alex Murphy, 20 Mikey Place
Booked: Conor O’Keeffe (46) ,Padraic Cunningham (83) John Caulfield (Manager, 90+3).
Referee: Gavin Colfer
Attendance: 1285
Match report: Michael Duffy
Pictures: Peter Minogue