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Cork City 2 Bray Wanderers 1
Friday, 27 March 2009 08:35
TWO goals, one in each half, from Latvian striker Guntars Silagailis gave Cork City their first win of the new season against a hapless Bray Wanderers side who ended the game with nine men at Turner's Cross.


Bray had midfielder Daryl Robson booked after just ten minutes for kicking the ball away at a free kick in the centre- circle and then 23 minutes into the tie, he was sent off on a second yellow for a bad challenge on City full-back Neal Horgan.


It left Eddie Gormley's Seagulls with ten men for 67 minutes action as they lost their unbeaten record in Cork.


Eight minutes from time, full-back and captain Derek Pender was forced off with a leg injury but by then Bray had made their three substitutions.


Cork had a let-off after just eight minutes when Dan Connor pushed Dane Massey's free kick onto the post and Neal Horgan whipped the loose ball up and over his own crossbar from inside the six-yard box.


Robson's sending-off on his league debut spoilt the game as a spectacle for the 2,569 crowd and, inside three minutes of him seeing red, Cork had grabbed the initiative.


Man-of-the-match Joe Gamble's cross was headed back across goal by Denis Behan for Silagailis to nod the ball home on the opposite post with 26 minutes on the clock.


Cork playing against an icy breeze held this narrow lead to the break.


They had another scare early in the second half when Gary McCabe's 25-yarder dipped just wide of Connor's goal and Behan was denied in a one-on-one with Bray 'keeper Chris O'Connor before Silagailis netted his second on the hour mark.


Gamble again threaded the ball through to him but the ex-FK Riga star lifted it neatly over the 'keeper and into the net despite the best efforts of Dave Mulcahy to keep it out.


Bray who drew their opening three games against Shamrock Rovers, Drogheda and Galway but had not won in Cork since 1987 pulled a goal back mid-way through the second half.


Mulcahy, up in support of the attack, scrambled the ball home after Massey's free kick was crossed into the box by Chris Shields making it 2-1 after 63 minutes play.


Cork City (4-4-2) - Connor; Horgan, O'Halloran, Murray (capt), Murphy; O'Neill, Gamble, Healy, Dennehy; Behan, Silgailis.
Subs. Lordan for O'Neill (78 mins), Kudozovic, Kiely, O'Connor & McNulty (not used).


Bray Wanderers (4-4-2) - O'Connor; Pender,  Webster, Mulcahy, Massey; Kelly, Brennan, Robson (red card), McCabe; Byrne, Flood.
Subs. Shields for Byrne (30 mins), Mulroy for Flood & Coughlan for Kelly (both 64 mins), Doyle & Kane (not used)


Referee: Mark Gough (Limerick)
 
 
 
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