TEAMS SHARE GOALS AND REDS
Bray 1 Derry City 1
By DAIRE WALSH
RORY PATTERSON was Derry City’s saviour at the Carlisle Grounds, as Peter Hutton’s side claimed a point against Bray Wanderers.
The Candystripes dominated possession for much of the first-quarter, but Hutton’s men breathed a huge sigh of relief on 21 minutes when Jake Kelly’s delicate chip over the head of the advanced Gerard Doherty crashed off the top of the crossbar.
Bray’s confidence was boosted by that, and Doherty was forced into a low stop at the right-hand post when the energetic David Cassidy shot sharply on the turn five minutes later.
The ever-dangerous Patterson twice went close for Derry, but just when a scoreless opening period appeared on the cards, Bray centre-half Adam Mitchell was in the right place to head home powerfully from Adam Hanlon’s stoppage-time cross.
David Scully’s goal-line clearance denied Derry winger Josh Tracey eight minutes after the restart, but when Jake Kelly was poised to double his side’s advantage on the hour Doherty produced a point-blank save.
This was a major turning point in the contest, and from the subsequent attack, referee Rob Rogers gave Derry a penalty.
Dave Webster was penalised for a foul on Barry McNamee, and from the resultant spot-kick, Patterson calmly converted.
Despite being awarded a 78th-minute penalty of their own following Doherty’s foul on a raiding Jake Kelly, the Bray man hit his spot-kick over the bar.
Shaun Kelly’s dismissal on a second yellow-card offence six minutes from time handed the initiative to Bray, but they had to be content with a share of the spoils and Niall Cooney was also dismissed deep into time added on.