Bray Wanderers - 0 Kilkenny - 2: Kilkenny ripped up the form-book when goals in each half from Alan Mulcahy and Philip Gorman gave them a deserved victory at the Carlisle Grounds last night.
It was hard to believe that the Cats currently trail Bray by 25 points in the First Division. A neutral observing last night's game would have thought it was City who were on the promotion trail.
A lack-lustre Bray rarely threatened, although striker John Flood did have a header comfortably collected by Tadhg Murphy following a Stephen Gifford cross on 18 minutes.
Kilkenny took a deserved lead four minutes prior to the interval when Bray defender Wesley Charles failed to cut out a John Shanahan cross from the left. And Mulcahy nipped in at the far post to head home.
The visitors stretched their lead on the hour when Mulcahy turned provider to enable Damien Coogan to get in a shot which was blocked by Bray's Aussie goalkeeper Chris O'Connor. But Gorman was quickest to react, side-footing home the rebound.
Despite the introduction of Eddie Gormley, Barry McGrory and Paul O'Reilly, Bray were unable to mount a comeback.
Late on, a long range free by Jody Lynch was flicked on by Colm Tresson only for Kieran O'Brien to blaze over the top.
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; Gifford, Charles, Lynch, Farrell; Long, James, McGuinness, Tresson; O'Brien, Flood. Subs: Gormley (for Gifford) (61 mins), McGrory (for James) (61 mins), O'Reilly (for Long) (68 mins).
KILKENNY CITY: Murphy; Cosgrave, Curran, Cummins, Andrews; Coogan, Mallon, Andrews, Shanahan; Gorman, Mulcahy. Subs: Rockett (for Mallon) (68 mins), Stanley (for Mulcahy (90 mins).
