SEAN PICKS BRAY LOCK
Shamrock R………………….. 1
BRAY WANDERERS……… 0
By DAIRE WALSH
BRAY WANDERERS continue to sweat over survival after a 41st-minute Sean O’Connor goal undid them in Tallaght last night.
The Seagulls almost took a shock lead after just 30 seconds when David Scully delivered a pin-point cross to David Cassidy.
But his subsequent header was deflected into the side-netting.
Rovers were the dominant side during the opening half.
And only for the heroics of Wanderers keeper Stephen McGuinness, they would have broken the deadlock inside the first quarter.
McGuinness made a comfortable stop from a close-range Dean Kelly header early on.
Then he produced a spectacular fingertip save to deny Ciaran Kilduff on 20 minutes.
Bray did show promise on the break through Cassidy and Jake Kelly, but their stern resistance was finally broken.
Kilduff was the provider and after taking control of his neat pass, O’Connor brilliantly curled a left-footed shot beyond the reach of the helpless McGuinness.
In the second half a Luke Byrne ball found Kilduff on 58 minutes, but his path was blocked by McGuinness.
The keeper kept Bray in contention with saves from Simon Madden, Kilduff and Sheppard but Rovers still won out.
SUN STAR MAN
S McGuinness (Bray Wanderers).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Hyland 7; Madden 7, Cornwall 7, Kenna 7, Byrne 7; O’Connor 7 (Waters 70, 6), Robinson 7, Brennan 7, McCabe 7; Kilduff 7, Kelly 7 (Sheppard 70, 6).
BRAY WANDERERS: McGuinness 8; McGill 7, Mitchell 7, Barker 7, Maloney 6; Scully (McDonagh 79, 6), G Kelly 7, Zambra 6, Hanlon 6 (Hughes 65, 6); Cassidy 7; J Kelly 7.
REFEREE: R Harvey (Dublin).