Bray Wanderers 0 Galway United 5
A superbly taken hat-trick from Enda Curran gave Galway United their first points away from home this season as they routed Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.
Ryan Connolly and Padraic Cunningham added further goals as Tommy Dunne's moved up three places to eighth in the Premier Division table.
Galway started purposefully, stunning the home side to take a second minute lead.
Bray keeper Stephen McGuinness failed to gather Connolly’s corner and Curran angled a volley to the net.
Bray’s negligent defending presented Galway with several other chances in the opening minutes. Connolly shot straight at McGuinness before the similarly poorly marked Jake Keegan planted a downward header wide.
Keegan then played Cunningham through on 11 minutes with the striker dragging his cross shot wide of the far post, Gary Shanahan arriving just too late to get the vital touch.
Gradually, Bray worked their way into the game, registering their first chance on 23 minutes when captain David Cassidy volleyed wide from Michael Barker’s fine diagonal ball.
Galway remained dominant, however, and got a deserved second goal on 41 minutes.
Shanahan skipped past Daniel O’Reilly a little too easily on the right to cross for Curran to score with a cushioned header.
Cunningham brought a save out of McGuinness early in the second half before Curran completed his hat-trick on 54 minutes.
Colm Horgan’s quick free caught Bray asleep and Curran ran in to fire to the roof of the net.
Connolly then pounced on a loose ball on 65 minutes to unleash a 35-yard left-foot shot that flew in off a post.
Ten minutes later, Cunningham turned on the ball on the edge of the area to shoot home the fifth.
Bray Wanderers: McGuinness; Barker, McNally, Douglas, O'Reilly (Cooney, 71); Hanlon, Kelly (Gallagher, 77), McEvoy, McGlynn; Cassidy; Scully (Onwubiko, 68).
Galway United: Hanley; Horgan, Oji, Walsh, Ludden; Shanahan (Barry, 76), Sinnott (O'Leary, 63), Connolly, Keegan; Curran (Byrne, 69), Cunningham.
Referee: Dave McKeon (Dublin).
