LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION Bray Wanderers 0 Derry City 1: DERRY CITY moved up to third place in the table when a dramatic 90th minute header by Gareth McGlynn gave them the narrowest of victories over basement club Bray Wanderers in last night's dour Premier Division clash at the Carlisle Grounds.
Derry captain Peter Hutton had made a rallying call for unity to players, officials, supporters and potential backers before the game after it was revealed the Derry players had received only 25 per cent of their wages for last month.
That seemed to have the desired effect with Derry recording a fourth league win in a row.
Bray had an early chance when a Dave Webster cross from the right found midfielder Dane Massey at the far post only for his header to be just wide of the target.
Derry did threaten on eight minutes when a corner by young James McClean on the right enabled Ger O’Brien to get in a shot which was blocked by Bray goalkeeper Chris O’Connor.
Scottish striker Tam McManus then had a shot on the rebound which hit Mark Farren on the back to enable McClean to get in another effort which was again well saved by Aussie O’Connor.
Bray went closest to breaking the deadlock on 29 minutes after a clever ball from Gary McCabe down the right put Gareth Coughlan in the clear only for his angled shot to be inches off target.
Derry should really have taken the lead on 52 minutes when a McClean cross from the left found the unmarked Farren in the box, but his looping header was comfortably gathered by the alert O’Connor.
After a great burst down the left by defender Derek Pender, the Bray man skipped past two Derry defenders but there was no one up to take advantage of his inviting cross.
A cross from Ruardhri Higgins from the left seemed to take a deflection of a Bray defender only for McManus to fire left-footed just over the bar. Derry continued on the offensive when a McClean shot was only partially blocked by Chris Deans only for O’Connor to again perform heroics and divert the ball for a corner.
That dramatic last-minute winner came after a long free by goalkeeper Gerard Doherty was headed away from O’Connor by late substitute Aaron Nash to allow McGlynn to nod home from close range.
BRAY WANDERERS: OConnor; Webster, Foran, Deans, Pender; Coughlan (Kelly, 73 mins), Shields, ONeill, Massey; McCabe, Flood (McNeill, 83 mins).
DERRY CITY: Doherty; Deery (Molloy, 57 mins), OBrien, Hutton, McCallion; McGlynn, Martyn , Higgins, McClean; Farren (Nash, 83 mins), McManus.
Referee: D Hancock(Dublin).
