LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION: Bray Wanderers 0 Shamrock Rovers 0CHRIS O'CONNOR excelled with terrific saves in either half to kept Shamrock Rovers out at the Carlisle Grounds last night as Bray Wanderers frustrated Michael O'Neill in his first game in charge.
An encouraging crowd of over 3,000 saw Rovers, debuting six new signings, begin positively. With Shane Robinson captaining them from central midfield, Rovers had a good shape about them from the off; a smooth passing movement involving Gary Twigg and Stephen Bradley carving Bray open on five minutes, forcing defender Chris Deans to block Dessie Baker’s shot.
There was further defending to do by the home side eight minutes later when O’Connor dived full stretch to push away one-handed from Ollie Cahill’s terrific 30-yard volley for his first stop of the night.
In-between Bray threatened with the pace of Paddy Kavanagh who outwitted Aidan Price to bring a comfortable save from Barry Murphy.
Rovers continue to enjoy much of the ball, but found a dogged Bray hard to break down, with Stephen Rice shooting well wide.
Bray responded late in the half and might have taken the lead a minute before the interval in their first period of pressure of the game. Dane Massey’s throw was knocked down by midfielder Daire Doyle for the run of Paul Byrne and the striker’s flick came off the foot of the far post with Ian Bermingham hacking clear.
As they did in the first half, Rovers started the second brightly and almost caught Bray napping inside two minutes.
Cahill’s quick thinking from a free-kick played Baker though the inside-right channel but the striker got under his shot and blasted over the top. Rovers had shouts for a penalty waved away by referee Anthony Buttimer just past the hour mark when Deans appeared to handle Robinson’s cross.
Within minutes, Rice set up Robinson to shoot from long-range to bring the second good stop of the night from O’Connor. In the final minute O’Connor got down well to parry away another low drive from Robinson.
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor, Pender, Deans, Foran (Webster, 90 mins), Massey, Coughlan, Doyle, Mulcahy, McCabe (Mulroy, 79 mins); Kavanagh, Byrne (Forsyth, 85 mins)
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy, Madden, Webb, Price, Bermingham, Bradley (S O'Connor, 73 mins), Robinson, Rice, Cahill, Baker (Doyle, 83 mins), Twigg (Purcell, 7 mins).
Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).
