THIS WAS giant-killing at its most merciless as Bray Wanderers, runaway, leaders of the First Division, were thoroughly trounced by Fanad United. The Ulster Senior League side, who equalled a 57-year-old-record of the biggest winning margin by a non-league side over a team from the League of Ireland in the FAI Cup, humiliated the 1990 winners in dreadful conditions at the Carlisle Grounds yesterday.
The pitch became a quagmire within IS minutes of the game kicking off, but the entertainment was abundant: four goals, a penalty that was and one that wasn't, and a sending off to boot.
At the finish, Fanad, who had taken the scalp of Home Farm four years ago, albeit by just 2-0, enjoyed another long trek home with plenty of cheer.
Player/manager, Eamonn McConigley, Fanad's right-back, is now desperately hoping for a home tie in Friday morning's second round draw.
"We have never been drawn at home in the five years we've been in the FAI Cup," he said afterwards. "I don't care who we get as long as they have to come to Traigh-a-Locha first."
Bray manager Pat Devlin was generous in defeat, offering no complaints on his side's fourth defeat of the season. "We didn't deserve anything from that. Fair play to Fanad, they battled hard and on the day fully deserved their win. We could complain about the sending off and the fact we didn't get what looked a certain penalty, but it's over now and the better team won on the day." he said.
Bray dominated the first half-hour or so without really testing Bosco Gallagher in the Fanad goal Fanad, though, were well in it with captain Kenny Harkin and Colm McGonigle fluffing good, chances before they took the lead from a counter-attack three minutes before half-time. A fine diagonal ball by man-of-the-match, Johnny Gallagher, saw winger George Grier beat the offside trap as he raced in from the right. He kept his head to shoot low past the advancing Pat Trehy.
"At half-time I just told the players to keep their discipline and not make a mistake," said McConigley. Within four minutes of the restart it was Bray who committed an error that ultimately was to cost them the game.
A cross from Harkin was fumbled by Trehy and right-back Ray Kenny handled the ball as it dropped. Referee Hugh Byrne, somewhat harshly, it must be said, sent him off and Fanad central defender, John McElwaine, shot home the penalty.
Bray remained well in the game until the hour mark when McElwaine got away with what looked a blatant foul on Kieran O'Brien as Bray appealed for a penalty. But following on from that incident, Harkin collected the loose ball to knock a long pass forward to Grier who raced clear of the stretched Bray defence to draw Trehy and gleefully shoot in his second goal of the game.
Four minutes later it was all over as Fanad rubbed it in. Harkin's shot from 20 yards deflected off Bray skipper Anthony McKeever to deceive Trehy and roll in at the foot of the goalkeeper's left hand post.
McGonigle, Grier, twice, and Harkin should have made the scoreline at least 8-0 as they wasted golden opportunities when through in one-on-one situations with Trehy as Fanad ran riot for the last 20 minutes or so.
Having cheekily criticised his players for those late misses, McConigley, 22 years with the club, went on to say: "It's certainly a great day for Fanad. It equals our great run to the semifinals of the League Cup in 1988 when we only lost to Shamrock Rovers in the semi-final.
