AIRTRICITY LEAGUE/Bray W 0 Bohemians 3:THIS WAS never going to be an easy night for bottom side Bray Wanderers as the expected backlash from the champions arrived on cue as they romped to an emphatic win.
Bohemians’ manager Pat Fenlon made four changes from the side embarrassed 4-0 by TNS on Tuesday, ruthlessly leaving left-back Conor Powell out altogether, while Ruaidhri Higgins, Mark Quigley and Jason Byrne were dropped to the bench.
Fenlon got an immediate reaction from his players as they were 2-0 up inside 14 minutes as Paddy Madden returned to form with a quick-fire brace. Bray failed to defend a Killian Brennan free-kick into their area on nine minutes. Madden pounced on the loose ball to initially bring a decent stop with his legs from goalkeeper Brian Kane before sweeping the rebound to the back of the net.
A poor clearance by Derek Prendergast was clinically punished five minutes later.
The stray pass went to Bohemians’ Gareth McGlynn. Aaron Greene promptly helped the pass through for the run of Madden who showed terrific composure to sidefoot calmly past Kane for his eighth league goal in six games, 11 from nine in all competitions.
It really should have been 3-0 on 32 minutes. Glen Cronin’s sublime ball put Greene clean through on goal. But the attempted feint wasn’t bought by Kane who did well to save at the striker’s feet.
Bohemians effectively put the game to bed within five minutes of the second half with their third goal from a second successive corner. Brennan worked it short to Paul Keegan, got it back and curled a stunning angled shot that flew into the back of Kane’s net off the far post.
Ken Oman, with a near-post flick header from another corner, came close to increasing the lead as Bray, who failed to get a shot on target all night, struggled to cope.
Shane O’Neill relieved the pressure on 70 minute when getting a yard in behind the Bohemians rearguard to rifle a shot wide across goal.
But the waves of attacks resumed at the other end and a terrific saving tackle by Prendergast on Keegan, after Brian Shelley’s surging run, prevented a certain fourth goal minutes later.
BRAY WANDERERS: Kane; S. O’Connor, Mitchell, Prendergast, Massey (Houston, half-time); D Doyle (Kavanagh, 79 mins), D O’Connor, G Kelly (R Doyle, 66 mins), J Kelly; Mulroy, S O’Neill.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; Shelley, Heary, Oman, Rossiter; McGlynn, Keegan (Higgins, 82 mins.), Cronin, Brennan (Quigley, 69 mins); Madden, Greene (Byrne, 77 mins).
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).
