Bray Wanderers 4 (Craven 6, Clifford, 56 (p), Doyle 64, 90)
UCD 0
Carlisle Grounds, First Division, 18 June 2021
Bray Wanderers produced a much-improved performance to defeat second placed UCD and move to within two points of the Students in the play off positions.
Wanderers made one change to the starting team from that which was defeated by Shelbourne last week. Luka Lovic started in midfield in place of Richie O’Farrell.
Wanderers took the lead after just six minutes. Ryan Graydon got in on the right and pulled the ball back to Darren Craven who blasted home from just inside the area. Craven did well on the left on 23 minutes and his cross was headed over by Graydon. Just past the half hour mark Dylan Barnett fired over from long range.
Bray were on top again in the second half and Darren Craven did well in the left corner to break into the area and was pulled back by a defender. Conor Clifford duly converted the resultant penalty, blasting high to the net.
On 64 minutes, Joe Doyle fired home the third from the edge of the area. Evan Osam headed over for the Students on 67 minutes from a corner. In the final minute, Joe Doyle was quickest to react to a long ball which a UCD defender failed to deal with, and he poked the ball past the advancing Healy so seal a comprehensive win for the hosts.
Bray Wanderers: 1 Brian Maher; 8 Mark Byrne, 3 Dylan Barnett, 4 Andrew Quinn, 5 Aaron Barry; 6 Conor Clifford, 7 Ryan Graydon, 17 Luka Lovicl, 11 Brandon Kavanagh; 10 Gary Shaw, 16 Darren Craven.
Substitutes; 25 Kian Clarke (Gk), 9 Joe Doyle (for Shaw, h/t), 12 Dean O’Shea (for Graydon, 90), 14 Richie O’Farrell (for Kavanagh, 70), 18 Sean Callan, 22 Steven Kinsella (for Lovic, 75), 23 Glen Hollywood, 24 Cian Maher.
Booked: Craven (86)
UCD: 1 Lorcan Healy; 22 Sam Todd, 3 Evan Osam, 24 Harvey O’Brien (Paul Doyle 60); 25 Evan Weir, 17 Dara Keane, 2 Michael Gallagher, 8 Mark Dignam, 27 Sean Brennan; 10 Colm Whelan, 7 Liam Kerrigan.
Substitutes: 6 Jack Keaney (for Dignam, 60), 12 Adam Lennon (for Keane, 60), 21 Paul Doyle (for O’Brien, 60), 14 Eoin Farrell (for Gallagher, 67), 18 Donal Higgins (for Brennan, 77), 16 Carl Williams, 9 Danu Kinsella Bishop, 5 Luke Boore, 11 Ciaran Behan.
Booked: Osam (90) .
Referee: Jason Mannix
Match Report: Michael Duffy