SOCCER: Bohemians 2 Bray Wanderers 0:THE SHEER effervescence of Raffaele Cretaro relieved the pressure around Dalymount Park as he scored twice to give the champions a morale-boosting win. A first victory in four games – since last beating bottom side Bray – may not raise the overall gloom around the financially-troubled club but it lifts Pat Fenlon's side to third place in the table, five points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.
Deserving of Cretaro’s 32nd-minute lead, Bohemians didn’t seal the points until the 84th minute. Substitute Jason Byrne’s clever back heel from Garth McGlynn’s diagonal ball set up Cretaro whose shot deflected off a defender to loop over Matt Gregg.
With five changes from the side that crashed to a second successive defeat here to Galway on Friday, including a starting league debut for 19-year-old left winger Gary Burke, Bohemians set about Bray from the first whistle. The Paddy Madden-Cretaro partnership carved the first opening which saw Paul Keegan’s low drive coming back off Dave Webster’s legs. Madden, two minutes later, headed narrowly wide.
Madden ought to have broken the deadlock on 15 minutes, but failed to get enough purchase on his header from Keegan’s corner.
Only a brilliant save from former Bray goalkeeper Chris O’Connor prevented the visitors taking the lead on 20 minutes. Dean Zambra teed up Shane O’Neill from John Mulroy’s cross but O’Connor pushed the striker’s low drive out for a corner. But it merely lifted the siege as Madden brought a good stop from Gregg before Bohemians got the lead they deserved on 32 minutes. Ken Oman’s headed clearance ran though for Cretaro who used his pace and guile to outwit the Bray defence and beat Gregg with a low drive from just outside the box.
Bray were almost level on 56 minutes. Jake Kelly won a corner which Gary Dempsey whipped over with Derek Prendergast arrowing his free header over the bar. The pressure was relieved with Madden flashing a header wide from Killian Brennan’s cross.
Bohemains remained vulnerable at the back as O’Connor saved from point-blank range from Kelly and he then had to get down to hold a shot from Kelly. Bohemians regained their grip on the game and Cretaro fired wide before he put over a low cross for Byrne who just failed to connect with. Cretaro had loud appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Tom Connolly after he was brought down by Webster. Four minutes later he sealed perhaps Bohemians biggest win of the season.
BOHEMIANS:O'Connor; Heary, Shelley, Oman, Powell; Brennan (McGlynn, 64 mins), Cronin, Keegan, Burke (Quigley, 89 mins); Cretaro, Madden (Byrne, 64 mins).
BRAY WANDERERS:Gregg; Webster, S. O'Connor, Prendergast, Houston; Zambra, Dempsey, D. O'Connor (Shields, 86 mins), J Kelly (Tuohy, 89 mins); S O'Neill (Massey, 32 mins), Mulroy.
Referee:Tom Connolly (Dublin).
