Bray Wanderers 4 - 1 Waterford United

Four goals in twenty first half minutes helped Bray Wanderers to a 4-1 friendly win over Waterford United on Wednesday night in the Carlisle Grounds.

Danny O’Connor, Jason Byrne and a brace by Kieran Marty Waters were too much for the First Division side who did get a consolation in the second half through Paudie Quinn.

The Premier Division side controlled the first half, and in all honesty, could easily have added to their four goals in the opening 45 minutes. 

The sides exchanged chances early on with Jason Byrne setting Kieran Marty Waters up but Blues keeper Craig Hyland saved comfortably, before Daragh Walshe forced Wanderers keeper Darren Quigley into a low save at the other end.

The deadlock was broken inside the opening quarter hour - Gary Dempsey’s right wing corner kick finding the head of Danny O’Connor and the veteran defender headed powerfully past Craig Hyland.

Waters had another chance minutes later but, after getting the better of defender John Frost, the attacker couldn’t find a way past Hyland.

Hyland was unable to prevent the second goal four minutes later, though, as Dempsey’s deft flick found Jason Byrne on the edge of the Blues penalty area. Centre half Gavin Kavanagh inexplicably got a touch on the ball to help control the ball for Byrne, and he made no mistake with a sublime finish into the top left hand corner of Hyland’s goal, leaving the keeper with no chance.

Waters was on the score sheet two minutes later, and again it was Gary Dempsey who was the central figure, starring against the team he lined out for last season. Dempsey’s through ball down the left sent Waters through, and he outpaced the on-rushing Hyland to run the ball into the empty net.

It got worse for the away side ten minutes before half time as goal number four arrived. Jason Byrne’s long ball from his own half found Waters down the right, and he cut inside Seamus Long before rifling the ball past Hyland.

Three minutes before half time, Waterford United had a chance to get back into the game. Ben Ryan did well down the right and he found striker Daragh Walshe, but his weak shot was easily saved by Quigley. Walshe had another great chance in first half stoppage time but he blasted over when in a good position.

The Blues began to come back into the game at the start of the second half as Conor Coad set up Paul Quilty, but the striker couldn’t get his strike on target.

The controversial moment of the match arrived ten minutes into the second period. Paul Quilty was played through down the right but the assistant referee raised his flag to signal for offside. Referee Sean Grant, noticing that it had been the Bray player with the touch back, waved the flag down and played on. Quilty continued his run into the penalty area and looked to have been fouled by Quilty. Grant looked to have awarded the penalty, before deciding to bring play back for the original offside decision. The away side were perplexed by the incident to say the least.

Twenty minutes into the second period Waterford United got a goal back. Daragh Walshe did well down the right and he got his cross into Paudie Quinn who fired into the back of the net with a good finish under pressure from two defenders. 

The Blues’ second half performance will certainly give Paul O’Brien some encouragement before the start of the league season. Sub keeper Robbie Hughes, who will battle with Craig Hyland for the number one spot this season, did his cause no harm with a superb late save, diving low to his right to deny Ismahil Akinade.

To their credit, the away side continued to press and Ben Ryan and Paudie Quinn both had efforts, Quinn’s causing Bray sub keeper Sean Holmes into a good low save.

Both sides will take a lot from the game, with Bray looking like a solid outfit for their Premier Division season, while the away side’s second half performance will have done no harm.

Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley (Sean Holmes 78); Eoin Hyland (Niall O’Reilly 46), Danny O'Connor (Peter Thomas 67), Dave Webster (Shane O’Connor 46), Kevin Knight (Adam Mitchell 46); Kieran Marty Waters (John Mulroy 46), Gary Dempsey, Kevin O'Connor (Danny Joyce 67), Daire Doyle (Paul Malone 46), Conor Earley (Tim Murphy 46); Jason Byrne (Ismahil Akinade 67).

Waterford United: Craig Hyland (Robert Hughes 46); Dylan Mernagh, Gavin Kavanagh, Seamus Long (David Breen 61), John Frost (Jamie Cross 74); Ben Ryan, Conor Coad (Kevin O’Connor 57), Peter White, Michael Coady; Daragh Walshe (Vinny Sullivan 67), Paul Quilty (Paudie Quinn 61). 

Referee: Sean Grant.

Attendance: 100 (estimate)

Man of the Match: Gary Dempsey (Bray Wanderers).