Bray Wanderers 3 Longford Town 0
Carlisle Grounds, First Division, 18 September 2020
Bray Wanderers produced their best performance of the season with this comprehensive victory over promotion rivals Longford Town. In doing so, Wanderers extended their current unbeaten league run to seven games and current unbeaten home league run to 12 games. This victory was Wanderers fourth consecutive league victory. It was also the first time in the club’s League of Ireland history that the team scored three goals in four consecutive games.
Wanderers made one change to the starting team from last Friday’s win over Wexford FC. Jack Watson came into midfield to replace Derek Daly.
Bray started on top and Gary Shaw went close after just six minutes when he beat ex-Wanderers keeper Lee Steacy to a cross, but headed just wide. Ryan Graydon crashed a shot off the Longford crossbar and then headed just wide on 10 minutes. Aaron Barry saw his header cleared off the line following a Dylan Barnett corner on 19 minutes. Luka Lovic then fired a long-range effort which Steacy gathered at the second attempt.
Wanderers kept pressing and Barnett fired a long-range effort over the crossbar on 35 minutes. A scramble in the Longford box on 38 minutes saw a chance for Lovic but the ball would not drop for him to get a clear shot in and Gary Shaw eventually saw his shot blocked at close range.
Five minutes before the break, Aaron Barry headed a cross from Wilson back across the area where Shaw headed over from close range.
Wanderers took the lead a minute into the second half. Lovic’s cross from the right picked out Sean McEvoy who turned and slotted home from inside the box. Bray doubled their lead on 63 minutes when Graydon’s through ball picked out McEvoy and he slotted under the advancing Steacy. Wanderers sealed the win on 69 minutes when Shaw headed home from a Barnett corner on the right.
Bray Wanderers: 25 Brian Maher, 2 John Ross Wilson, 3 Dylan Barnett, 4 Killian Cantwell, 5 Aaron Barry, 7 Ryan Graydon, 8 Callum Thompson, 12 Jack Watson, 18 Sean McEvoy, 17 Luka Lovic, 18 Sean McEvoy, 10 Gary Shaw.
Substitutes; 1 Adam Hayden (Gk), 6 Paul Keegan (for McEvoy, 85), 9 Joe Doyle (for Watson, 66), 11 Derek Daly (for Thompson, 78), 14 Noack-Hofmann (for Barnett, 85), 17 Darragh Lynch (for Shaw, 78), 27 Marlon Marishta
Booked: Watson (38), Barnett (78), Lovic (90+2), Lynch (90+3)
Longford Town: 1 Lee Steacy, 2 Shane Elworthy, 5 Mick McDonnell, 6 Dean Zambra, 7 Dylan Grimes, 8 Rob Manley, 11 Adam Evans, 16 Aodh Dervin, 20 Dean Byrne, 22. Joe Manley, 32 Joe Gorman. Subs: 18 Luke Dennison (Gk), 4 Dylan Hand, 10 Sam Verdon, 15 Aaron McCabe, 17 Mathew O’Brien (for Grimes, 17), 19 Karl Chambers (for Zambra, h/t), 21 Aaron McNally.
Booked: Dervin (55)
Match Report: Michael Duffy
Pictures: Peter Minogue