Bray Wanderers earned their first league victory of the season at the 11th attempt. Caretaker manager Graham Kelly named an unchanged team from the side that lost to Dundalk three days previous.
Hugh Douglas had an early chance for Wanderers, heading just wide on five minutes. On the half hour mark, Miele’s powerful strike from a free kick forced Dillon into pushing the ball away for a corner. Wanderers had shouts for a penalty on 35 minutes when Gary McCabe’s shot struck the hand of a Rovers player in the area. Referee Tom Connolly ignored the pleas for a spot kick. On the stroke of half time Graham Burke’s corner found Ethan Boyle in space but he headed wide of Dillon’s post.
The only goal of the game came in the 52nd minute. Ronan Coughlan picked up a poor back-pass from Ronan Finn and slid the ball beneath the advancing Kevin Horgan.
Bray almost added a second on the hour mark. A nice passing movement on the left resulted in McCabe firing a shot which Horgan tipped over brilliantly.
Rovers were reduced to ten men when striker Dan Carr was sent off for a second yellow card on 64.
Daniel Kelly forced Horgan into a save on 71 minutes. Wanderers defended well in the closing stages as Rovers never really threatened Dillon.
Bray Wanderers: 1 Aaron Dillon; 16 Dan McKenna, 2 Hugh Douglas, 4 Conor Kenna, 3 Kevin Lynch; 6 Paul O’Conor; 19 Ronan Coughlan, 14 Rhys Gorman, 7 Cory Galvin; 21 Gary McCabe (c); 10 Aaron Greene
Subs: 5 Sean Heaney, 9 Gerald Pender (for Coughlan 74), 11 Jake Kelly (for Galvin 89), 12 Dylan Hayes, 17 Daniel Kelly (for Greene 26), 23 Andrew McGovern, 29 Evan Moran (gk)
Shamrock Rovers: 25 Kevin Horgan; 2 Ethan Boyle, 5 Lee Grace, 15 Ally Gilchrist, 11 Sean Kavanagh; 6 Greg Holger, 8 Ronan Finn; 17 Joel Coustrain, 28 Graham Burke, 10 Brandon Miele; 9 Dan Carr
Subs: 1 Toner Chencinski (gk), 4 Roberto Lopes, 14 Gary Shaw (for Coustrain 55), 16 David McAllister, 18 Joey O’Brien, 21 Aaron Bolger, 22 Brandon Kavanagh (for S Kavanagh 74)
Referee: Tomas Connolly
Match report: Michael Duffy