Athlone Town 0 Bray Wanderers 1
Athlone Town Stadium, First Division, 27 October 2020
Despite this win, Bray Wanderers missed out on the First Division title as Drogheda United defeated Cabinteely in Stradbrook to clinch the title.
Bray made two changes to the starting team from their last game against Galway United with Paul Keegan replacing the injured Luka Lovic and Derek Daly stated in place of Joe Doyle.
The match started at a lively pace and Brian Maher produced a great save on the quarter hour to deny Taner Dogan. Wanderers should have taken the lead minutes later when Killian Cantwell headed just wide from close range. Gary Shaw forced Myles into a superb fingertip save just past the half hour mark. Myles then denied Ryan Graydon with a close range save after the midfielder got in on the right from a Paul Keegan pass.
Scott Delaney saw yellow for a foul on Graydon on the edge of the area a minute before the break. Graydon curled the resulting free kick over the ball and into the net to put Wanderers in front.
Athlone almost grabbed a draw when Mark Birrane fired a shot off the Bray post two minutes from time.
Wanderers must now turn their attentions to the play offs and will now face Cabinteely at the Carlisle Grounds next Saturday.
Athlone Town: 1 Aaron Myles, 2 David Brookes, 5 Scott Delaney, 8 Dean George, 9 Ronan manning, 10 Taner Dogan, 12 Adam Lennon, 16 Ciaran Grogan, 19 Tumelo Tiou, 21 Jack Reynolds, 26 Mark Birrane.
Substitutes: 3 Evan White 9for George, 65), 4 Evan O’Connor 9for Delaney, 81), 18 Shane Nealon (for Tiou, 81), 14 Jordan Carroll, 15 Lee Duffy 9for Dogan, 65), 17 John Morgan (for Reynolds, 22), 50 Paddy Martin (Gk).
Booked: Delaney (43)
Bray Wanderers: 25 Brian Maher, 2 John Ross Wilson, 3 Dylan Barnett, 4 Killian Cantwell, 5 Aaron Barry, 6 Paul Keegan, 7 Ryan Graydon, 8 Callum Thompson, 11 Derek Daly, 18 Sean McEvoy, 10 Gary Shaw.
Substitutes; 1 Adam Hayden (Gk), 9 Joe Doyle (for Lynch, 70), 12 Jack Watson (for Daly, 79), 14 Tristan Noack-Hofmann (for McEvoy, 90), 19 Darragh Lynch (for Shaw, h/t), 26 Cian Maher, 27 Marlon Marishta.
Booked: Graydon (37), McEvoy (41)
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan
Report: Michael Duffy
Pictures: Peter Minogue