Bray Wanderers 0 Galway United 0
Carlisle Grounds, First Division, 16 July 2021
Play off contenders Bray Wanderers and Galway United shared the points in a scrappy affair. Wanderers had goalkeeper Brian Maher to thank for a point as his last minute save denied Galway victory.
Bray made one change to the starting team from the one that drew in Cork last week. Daniel Jones started in place of Richie O’Farrell. Galway came into the game on the back of five successive league wins while Wanderers were unbeaten tin their previous four league games.
Galway started the better and Maher was forced to save with his feet from Waweru inside the opening two minutes. Ruairi Keating then saw his shot blocked down. Wanderers had a great opportunity just past the quarter hour. Horgan’s back pass to Kearns was shot and Dylan Barnett pounced to race in on goal, but Kearns produced a great save. A minute later, Darren Craven shot wide from long range
Ruairi Keating fired a shot against the Bray post. Galway had further chances through Keating and Place while Brandon Kavanagh fired over for Wanderers from long range. Brandon Kavanagh’s free kick on the left found the head of Arron Barry at the back post but he was unable to get his header on target.
David Hurley went close with a free kick at the start of the second half for the visitors. In the final minute, Keating’s shot took a deflection and Maher had to react quickly to palm the ball away.
Bray Wanderers: 1 Brian Maher; 8 Mark Byrne, 15 Daniel Jones, 3 Dylan Barnett, 4 Andrew Quinn, 5 Aaron Barry; 6 Conor Clifford, 17 Luka Lovic, 11 Brandon Kavanagh; 9 Joe Doyle, 16 Darren Craven.
Substitutes; 25 Kian Clarke (Gk), 10 Gary Shaw (for Kavanagh, 89), 12 Dean O’Shea, 14 Richie O’Farrell (for Lovic, 52), 18 Sean Callan, 22 Steven Kinsella, 23 Glen Hollywood, 24 Cian Maher, 28 Sam Verdon (for Byrne, h/t).
Booked: Barry (47), Lovic (47), Clifford (79).
Galway United: 16 Conor Kearns; 32 Joe Gorman, 4 Gary Boylan, 22 Conor McCormack, 3 Stephen Walsh; 10 David Hurley, 21 Christopher Horgan, 6 Maurice Nugent, 20 Mikey Place, 18 Wilson Waweru; 7 Ruairi Keating.
Subs: 1 Luke Denison (Gk), 8 Shane Duggan, 9 Padrain Cunningham (for Waweru, 63), 11 Shane Doherty, 14 Mikie Rowe (for Hurley, 89, 17 Caoilfhionn O’Dea. 24 Colin Kelly, 25 Alex Murphy, 27 Thomas Oluwa,
Booked: Padraic Cunningham (74).
Referee: Oliver Moran
Match Report: Michael Duffy
Pictures: Peter Minogue
