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Bray Wanderers 2 St. Patrick's Athletic 1
Sunday, 05 April 2009 21:57


A dramatic 96th minute winner from striker Paul Byrne gave Bray Wanderers their first victory of the season  in a tense, lengthy and much-interupted Premier Division clash with St.Patrick's Athletic at the Carlisle Grounds.


The start of the second half was delayed for 41 minutes when the stadium was plunged into darkness after a floodlight failure during the interval.     


The Seagulls did have an early first half chance when Jake Kelly sent Paul Byrne bursting through the middle only for his 16 yard effort to be finger-tipped round the post by 'keeper Gary Rogers.


Midfielder Chris Shields then had a header just over the bar for the home side after good work on the right betweeen Gary McCabe and Dave Webster.


St.Pat's went close to breaking the deadlock on ten minutes when Kyle Moran fed fellow striker Mark Quigley only for the latter's 12 yard effort to be brilliantly pushed round the post by the alert Chris O'Connor in the home goal.


Former Bray man Alan Cawley then set up an opening for winger Ryan Guy who shot just over the top as the Inchicore men continued to exert the pressure.


Byrne had two chances for the home side with long range efforts - but it was a night on which defences were on top in the early stages.


After that lengthy 56 minute half time break because of the floodlight failure, Bray made the more promising start when striker John Flood ran onto a a long ball from the always impressive Derek Foran only to see his volley finish inches over the top.


Then Dean Massey had a 25 yard free flicked over by Rogers as Bray continued to surge forward at every opportunity.


But St.Pat's were not to be outdone when Cawley and Quigley combined well to set up the chance for Damian Lynch to cut in from the right with his parting effort brilliantly pushed out by O'Connor. Then David Partridge lobbed overf when well placed after a cross from the right from Ryan Guy.


Quigley did have the ball in the net for St.Pat's on 72 minutes only for big travelling support's celebrations to be cut shot by an offside flag from referee's assistant Mark Douglas.


It was agony for the visitors and ecstacy for Bray just sixty seconds later when winger Kelly was taken down just inside the area by 'keeper Rogers. The same player cooly took the penalty himself shooting low into the corner of the net.


But to their credit St.Pat's were level in the fourth minute of added time when a Quigley effort was puched out by O'Connor only for Stuart Byrne to head home the rebouund from 20 yards.


Incredibly the excitement wasn't over yet as Bray grabbed a sensational winner in the 96th minute when a Dean Masssey free on the right was nodded home by striker Byrne to secure the three points.  


Bray Wanderers - O'Connor; Webster (Doyle 89), Foran, Deans, Massey; McCabe, Brennan, Shields, Kelly (Coughlan 82); Byrne, Flood (Mulroy 80).

St.Patrick's Athletic - Rogers; Lynch,Partridge, Gavin, Stevens; Guy, Byrne, Cawley (Lester 56), Ryan; Moran (Fitzpatrick 68), Quigley.

Referee - Derek Tomney (Dublin).
 
 
 
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