Bray Wanderers 4-0 Sligo Rovers: Brennan double inspires Seagulls

By Daire Walsh at the Carlisle Grounds

Ryan Brennan netted two second-half goals to inspire Mick Cooke’s side to their first win of the season

Bray Wanderers finally secured their first Premier Division victory of the year tonight, when a stunning second-half display left Sligo Rovers reeling at the Carlisle Grounds.

In spite of their best endeavours of both teams in tricky conditions, the sides were ultimately inseparable when referee Sean Grant sounded his half-time whistle.

Yet, Bray eventually opened the scoring in the 48th-minute through Ryan Brennan, before Karl Moore doubled their advantage 12 minutes later.

An own goal from Sligo full-back Regan Donelon increased the pressure on Dave Robertson’s visitors, and an 85th-minute strike from Andrew Lewis completed the rout for the Wicklow men.

The Seagulls suffered a set-back just six minutes into the play – when Mark Salmon was forced off through injury.

He was replaced in the Wanderers’ engine room by Alan Byrne, but the home faithful breathed a sigh of relief when striker Liam Martin fired over from close-range on 14 minutes.

As the half wore on, Bray were starting to make more of an impact, but even though Seagulls striker Dean Kelly and Kieran Sadlier of Sligo had decent opportunities for their respective sides, the deadlock remained unbroken at the mid-way point.

However, just three minutes after the restart, Brennan finished clinically at Ciaran Nugent’s near post after linking up superbly with the industrious Lewis.

This was a morale-boosting goal for Mick Cooke’s outfit, who subsequently doubled their cushion on the hour mark. The vision of Kelly created a clear-cut opening for Moore inside the area, and the winger calmly slotted beyond the reach of Nugent off his left-foot.

Sligo were left deflated by the concession of these goals, and the result was ultimately placed beyond doubt after 66 minutes – as Donelon headed a Brennan corner on the right into his own net.

Bray capped a memorable performance with a fourth goal from Lewis via a Jason Marks set-piece with five minutes remaining, and while their confidence levels will  be sky high as a result of this success, struggling Sligo Rovers are still searching for their first league win of the campaign.