Bray Wanderers 2 - 0 Mervue United

Premier Division side Bray Wanderers safely negotiated their way into the third round of the FAI Ford Cup after a 2-0 win over First Division Mervue United as veteran Jason Byrne scored on the double to past the 200 career goal mark at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night.

This game was decided in a five minute spell midway through the opening half as Byrne scored his 200^th League of Ireland goal and then quickly added his 201^st from the penalty spot.

In an  uneventful opening quarter Dean Zambra had a shot well held by Connor Gleeson, while Mervue’s Brendan Lavelle shot into the side netting from a good Gary Shanahan delivery from the right on 17 minutes.

The home side hit the front on the 20^th minute mark when Zambra delivered a free-kick from the left straight onto the head of Byrne and he made no mistake powerfully heading home past Gleeson to join an elite of players with 200 or more League of Ireland goals.

Four minutes later and Joe Woods back pass saw Gleeson take a touch instead of clearing the ball first time. Bray winger Ismahil Akinade’s pace allowed him nip in to take the ball from the keeper’s feet with the Gleeson’s clearing boot bring the Bray player to the ground as he tried to clear, referee Padraigh Sutton pointed straight to the spot.

Byrne confidently strode up and buried the ball past Gleeson for 2-0 as another hat-trick looked on the cards following on from last week’s treble against Drogheda. Seven minutes later he had a chance to complete that treble but pulled his shot wide of the mark.

On the half hour mark Michael McSweeney produced a good block on a Kieran Waters shot inside the box after John Mulroy's lay off set him up. Just before the break Akinade headed straight at Gleeson at the back post following another Zambra free-kick into the box.

On the stroke of half time Akinade’s smart ball released Waters into the box but Gleeson advanced to block with Ross Kenny clearing the loose ball in front of goals, while Byrne should have bagged a third in injury time. Gary Dempsey picked out the unmarked striker with free kick from the right but he headed high and over Gleeson’s crossbar.

It could have been three again a minute into the second half as Gleeson pushed away Akinade’s fierce shot for a corner and from the delivery defender Dave Webster saw his free header go just the wrong side of the post.

Akinade had another shot well saved by Gleeson on 58 minutes and the winger also failed to get a touch on Waters dangerous corner delivery which just needed a touch to divert into the net four minutes later.

The visitors created a chance on 65 minutes as sub Ryan Manning played a lovely ball across the field to send Shanahan through on the right but he fired his effort across Darren Quigley’s goal with Tom King hooking the loose ball into the side netting.

Waters dropped a ball onto the top of the Mervue net on 68 minutes, while an excellent back heel from Byrne released Akinade into the box but McSweeney was covering to produce an equally good block to prevent a third Bray goal.

Waters then fired wide after the visitors failed to clear a corner kick, while Gleeson denied Shane O’Connor with a good save after the midfielder got forward into the box.

Mervue pushed hard for what would have been a late consolation score, forcing a number of corners without troubling Darren Quigley. Mulroy should have added to Byrne’s two first half strikes in the first minute of injury time but he fired badly over from just inside the box.

Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley; Daire Doyle (Ed McDonagh 90), Dave Webster, Shane O’Connor, Conor Early; Kieran Waters (Kevin Nugent 76), Gary Dempsey, Dean Zambra, Ismahil Akinade (Ger Pender 81); Jason Byrne, John Mulroy.
Subs not used: Sean Holmes (GK), Danny O’Connor, Kevin O’Connor, Danny Joyce.
Bookings: None

Mervue United: Connor Gleeson; Michael McSweeney, Stephen Walsh (Martin Conneely 78), Joe Woods, Ross Kenny; Tom King (Kenny Farrell 80), Paul Sinnott, Gary Kelly, Jason Molloy (Ryan Manning 60); Brendan Lavelle, Gary Shanahan
Subs not used: Barry O’Mahoney, Peter Healy (GK)
Bookings: Connor Gleeson 25, Paul Sinnott 45, Joe Woods 48, Stephen Walshe 77.

Referee: Padraigh Sutton (Clare)
Attendance: 150 approx.
Extratime Man of the Match: Jason Byrne (Bray Wanderers)