League Preview: Bohemians - V - Bray Wanderers

The two out-of-form clubs of the division meet as second frombottom Bohs host bottom club Bray at Dalymount Park on Friday night. (With a kick-off of 7:45 PM.)

BOHEMIANS

The Gypsies come into this game off the back of a 3-0 loss to champions Cork City on Monday evening. Graham Cummins and a Kieran Sadlier penalty pegged Bohs back in the first 20 minutes of the game.

Karl Sheppard bagged a third with two minutes left to condemn Keith Long’s men to a fourth defeat in their last five games, and extend their winless run to six. Their last win was on Gameweek 1, where they defeated Shamrock Rovers 3-1 at Dalymount.

Before the Cork game, the Phibsboro club drew 2-2 with Sligo Rovers last Friday night after twice taking the lead in the game.

Ahead of tonight’s fixture against the Seagulls, Long is determined to put things right and demanded his charges, still looking for their first clean sheet of the season to tighten up at the back.

“To be successful, you have to the basics of the game well.

“We, as a group, have not respected the fundamentals of the game at critical times at games. We are conceding bad goals and until we eradicate these from our game, we will find it very tough to win.”

But the former Athlone Town manager is positive that his side have enough talent and guile about them to get back on track.

“Defending well gives you a platform to perform and if you are solid at the back, you will always be in contention. We need to improve in this area and if we can achieve this, I believe we have the quality in attack to score goals and to hurt them.”

Long and everyone else connected with Bohs will want to get out of this mini-rut they find themselves in at the moment, and will no doubt feel that tonight is the best opportunity to do so against an out-of-form Bray side.

BRAY WANDERERS

The Seagulls come into this game off the back of a 2-1 home to Sligo Rovers on the 12^th of March, and most recently a 5-1 loss away to Derry City at the new Brandywell last Friday night.

In a game where the home side were only one up at half-time, as well having a man sent off ten minutes into the second half; it was hard to see how Bray capitulated like they did in the second half. Bray centre-half Sean Heaney netted a headed consolation with nine minutes remaining when his team were four down.

To date, there has only been one point Dave Mackey’s side have picked up so far this season. That was their goalless draw against Dundalk in the first game of the season at Oriel Park. 

The Wicklow men make their second trip to the Capital in search of their first win of the season, the first being their 6-0 drubbing away at Shamrock Rovers.

Bray simply need to pick up some points as soon as possible to avoid being the ‘whipping boys of the league’. Mackey and co may sense an opportunity to put that right tonight, against a team directly above them in the standings.

Also, Wanderers will want avenge last year’s results against Bohs, where they drew one game and lost the other two, so that is even more of an incentive to pick three points up.

Referee: Robert Rogers

MATCH STATS

The home side are winless in their last six games, registering four defeats and two draws in that time.

Bray are enduring a worse run of form though, they have not won a league game since the penultimate game of the season last year, beating Shamrock Rovers 1-0 at the Carlisle Grounds.

Current Gypsies Karl Moore, Derek Pender, Paddy Kavanagh, Ryan Swan (For U-19’s) and Keith Buckley have all lined out for Bray. Buckley and Moore face their old employers from last season.

Dylan Hayes, Jake Kelly and Aaron Greene have played for Bohs. Hayes lined out for the Gypsies last season.

These sides have met each other 46 times in competitive action over the years. Bohs won 28 of those games, Bray won eight and there have been ten stalemates. From the 46 games, there has been an average of 2.6 goals per game.

BETTING

Bohemians 8/11; Draw 23/10; Bray Wanderers 7/2

PREDICTION

Bohemians 3-1 Bray Wanderers

Bohemians

Injured: Derek Pender (calf), Ryan Swan (cruciate), Cristian Magerusan (metatarsal).

Doubtful: Rob Cornwall (virus).

Suspended: None.

Bray Wanderers

Injured: Unknown.

Doubtful: Unknown.

Suspended: None.