Bray Wanderers (0) - St Patrick's Athletic (3)

Bray Wanderers 0 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

St Patrick's Athletic put themselves right in the Aitricity League Premier Division title mix with a convincing win by the seaside.

A superb second period display at the Carlisle Grounds set the Saints up for their crunch battle with Shamrock Rovers on Monday.

The catalyst for the win was perhaps manager Pete Mahon's decision to take off top scorer Danny North seven minutes before half-time.

He'd been booked for tackle on Shane O'Connor and was lucky not to get another yellow for another challenge on the same Bray player.

Having bossed the first 45 minutes with no reward, the Dubliners had come out after the interval all fired up.

Both Daryl Kavanagh and Evan McMillan went close with headers inside the opening minutes of the second half.

Then Anto Murphy had a shout for hand ball turned down by referee Alan Kelly after a shot was blocked.

Then in the 52nd minute, Ian Bermingham lashed a low towards goal after Quigley's poor punch. Kavanagh's flick look certain to find the net, but somehow Chris Shield acrobatically cleared off the line.

That pressure was to finally pay off.

Sean O'Connor was brought down inside the box by Shane O'Connor and Stephen Bradley converted the spot-kick.

Bray had barely restarted when they fell two behind.

And it was one of their former players with the decisive blow, as Dave Mulcahy's cracking 20-yard volley appeared to take a slight deflection as it flew past Darren Quigley.

Kavanagh's clever reverse flick released sub Ian Daly on the right
flank and his low centre allowed the in-rushing Anto Murphy to slot in at the far post.

As the rain came down, the visitors nearly took a 24th minute lead.

Ex-Seagull Derek Pender dinked a ball into the box were Danny North challenged Darren Quigley. The ball squirmed off the keeper but the covering Shane O'Connor hacked off the line.

The striker then missed a gilt-edge opportunity to break the deadlock just after the half hour.

After Daryl Kavanagh and Stephen Bradley had combined on the left wing, Ian Bermingham's cross picked out the unmarked North who sent a glancing six-yard header wide.

There was a dramatic conclusion to the opening period.

In stoppage time, Quigley kept out Anto Murphy's low drive while Shane O'Connor got back to head Stephen Bradley's follow up header for a corner.

But with the flag kick cleared, the Wicklow side broke. Sean Houston fed Graham Kelly, who slipped Danny McGuinness in along the right channel and Houston was inches away from slotting in at the far post.

© rte.ie

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Bray Wanderers 0 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

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