Cork City 2 Bray Wanderers 1:TWO GOALS from Latvian forward Guntars Silagailis helped Cork city record their first league win of the season in a mediocre contest at Turner's Cross last evening.
City boss Paul Doolin will not be too pleased with large parts of his side’s performance in a game City should have wrapped up long before Bray found themselves with just nine men on the park, eight minutes from time.
The day didn’t start too well either for the home club after yet another bad news story regarding off-the-field matters hit the headlines.
Fullback Danny Murphy was reportedly not paid his wages this week after being asked to take a pay cut and renegotiate his contract down from a two-year to a one-year deal, one which he rejected.
Bray – without a win in Cork since 1987 – started promisingly with the aid of a strong downfield wind. Dave Massey saw his early corner swing under Dan Connor’s goal but the Cork goalkeeper was alert enough to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Soon after, Wanderers had their best chance when a Massey ball from left midfield was met by the head of Gary McCabe from close-range but the winger directed his effort against the upright.
Cork then proceeded to play the more controlled football with Joe Gamble and Colin Healy overshadowing both Stephen Brennan and Daryl Robson.
It might have been frustration on Brennan’s part that saw him receive a second yellow and red card in the 24th minute after sliding late into Neal Horgan.
However, Brennan’s dismissal saw the game depreciate as a spectacle.
City finally prospered with their numerical advantage and, in the 27th minute, got the breakthrough goal. A fine run along the right wing by Gamble saw the midfielder cross to the far post, Denis Behan headed across goal where the waiting Latvian striker, Guntars Silagailis headed home from close range.
Gamble was the provider when the former FK Riga striker made it two in the 59th minute, delicately chipping advancing Bray goalkeeper Chris O’Connor.
However, four minutes later, at the other end Dave Mulcahy took advantage of some slack City defending.
City, firstly, dealt inadequately with a Massey free kick into the box before substitute Chris Shields squared from the right allowing Mulcahy to rattle the net from two metres leaving the City back four flat-footed.
Bray survived a few scares in their area, but their chances of getting more out of the game were dealt another blow when they lost the services of Dave Pender with eight minutes left.
CORK CITY: Connor; Horgan, Murray, O’Halloran, Murphy; O’Neill (C Lordan 78 mins), Gamble, Healy, Dennehy; Silagailis, Behan.
BRAY WANDERERS: O’Connor; Pender, Webster, Mulcahy, Massey; Kelly (Coughlan 64 mins), Brennan, Robson, McCabe; Byrne (Shield 36 mins), Flood (Mulroy 64 mins).
Referee: M Gough
