Bray scores decisive goal

Division Two B/ Meath 1-12 Wicklow 0-12: Meath corner forward Stephen Bray scored a vital second-half goal that gave his team a three-point win over Wicklow at Aughrim yesterday.

Wicklow had turned in a great first-half performance to lead by 0-9 to 0-4 at the break but Bray scored the decisive goal 10 minutes after the restart from a Graham Geraghty centre to see Meath equalise, 1-6 to 0-9.

Wicklow goalkeeper Ray Daniels went close to preventing Bray's goal, while at the other end, 15 minutes later, Tommy Gill was denied a goal when his shot hit the crossbar and Wicklow had to settle for a John Slattery point instead when they trailed by 0-10 to 1-10.

In the first half Wicklow had dominated the midfield through the work of Don Jackman and James Stafford but the pattern of play changed completely in the second period as Meath took control, with Anthony Moyles and Mark Ward wresting control of that sector.

Meath rearranged their side in the second half, after Gill and impressive centre forward Tony Hannon shared eight of Wicklow's nine first-half points. Paul Earls was their other point scorer.

Wicklow were then held scoreless by Meath for 23 minutes of the second half, by which stage the visiting side had gone four points in front.

In the closing minutes of the game both teams were reduced to 14 men as first Meath's Mark Ward and later Wicklow's Don Jackman were sent off on double yellow cards.

MEATH: B Murphy; B O'Reilly, D Fay, E Harrington; S McGabhann, A Moyles, C King (0-1); N Crawford, M Ward; P Curran, P Byrne (0-1), G Geraghty (0-1); S Bray (1-2), B Farrell (0-3), C Ward (0-2). Subs: J Sheridan (0-1)for P Curran, N McKeigue for N Crawford, C McCarthy for C Ward, M Burke (0-1)for C King.

WICKLOW: R Daniels; C Hyland, D Power, A Byrne; JP Dalton, D Ó hAnnaidh, L Glynn; J Stafford, D Jackman; J Slattery (0-1), T Hannon (0-4, four frees), D Fitzgerald; T Gill (0-6), D Odlum, P Earls (0-1). Sub: S Cushe for J Slattery.

Referee: P Finnegan(Louth).