Bray Wanderers 3 (Craven 45+1, Thompson 67, Graydon 90+3)
Wexford FC 1 (Doherty 60)
Carlisle Grounds, First Division, 6 August 2021
Bray Wanderers moved up to fourth place in the First division, their highest league position of the season, after this hard-earned win over Wexford FC.
Wanderers were unchanged form the team that defeated Cabinteely last week.
Darren Craven curled a shot just wide from the edge of the area on seven minutes. Just past the quarter hour Sam Verdon forced Corcorcan into making a save. Richie O’Farrell controlled the ball well on the edge of the area but shot wide on 24 minutes. Brandon Kavanagh was next to try his luck, but he shot over from just outside the box on the half hour.
Wexford had a chance on 38 minutes when Fitzsimons headed just wide at the back post from a cross from the left. A minute later, Joe Doyle forced Corcorcan and Darren Craven blazed the rebound over the bar. Doyle then saw his goal bound shot blocked by McEvoy. A minute into added time, Darren Craven picked up the ball on the right wing and chipped Corcoran from the wing for a goal of the season contender.
Wexford drew level on the hour mark when Mark Byrne’s attempted back header to Brian Maher was short and intercepted by Jack Doherty who rounded the advancing Maher to score. Wanderers were back in front on 67 minutes. Joe Doyle did well on the left and came in off the wing to square to Callum Thompson who scored from close range.
Wanderers sealed victory in added time when Ryan Graydon broke into the box on the left before been taken down by a Wexford defender. Graydon stepped up to score from the resulting spot kick.
Bray Wanderers: 1 Brian Maher; 8 Mark Byrne, 15 Daniel Jones, 3 Dylan Barnett, 4 Andrew Quinn, 6 Conor Clifford, 11 Brandon Kavanagh; 14 Richie O’Farrell, 16 Darren Craven, 9 Joe Doyle, 28 Sam Verdon
Substitutes; 25 Kian Clarke (Gk), 5 Aaron Barry, 7 Ryan Graydon (for Craven, 84), 10 Gary Shaw (for Kavanagh, 76), 17 Luka Lovic (for Clifford, 84), 18 Sean Callan, 22 Steven Kinsella, 28 Callum Thompson (for Verdon, 52)
Booked: Clifford
Wexford FC: 23 Jimmy Corcoran; 29 Lorcan Fitzgerald, 15 Kevin McEvoy, 11 Paul Fox; 9 Karl Fitzsimons, 8 Karl Manahan, 7 Conor Crowley, 4 Paul Cleary; 16 Jack Moylan, 10 Jack Doherty, 17 Kyle Robinson
Subs: 2 Thomas Considine (for Fox 70), 19 Evan Farrell, 20 Daniel Dobbin, 21 Harry Groome (for Fitzsimons 81), 24 Sean Martin (gk), 25 Anthony Dolan (for Monahan 70), 26 Ayman Yousif (for Robinson 81), 27 Kieran Murphy, 28 Donal Porter.
Booked McEvoy (4), Manahan (32), Moylan (90+4)
Referee: Paul Norton
Match Report: Michael Duffy
Pictures: Peter Minogue
