Shamrock Rovers 0 Bray Wanderers 1: EPITOMISING THEIR youthful zeal, Dane Massey ended Shamrock Rovers' promising run to deservedly give Bray their second win of the season and lift them out of the relegation zone.
Bray had frustrated Rovers in the opening game of the season, holding Michael O’Neill’s side scoreless that day.
A threat throughout with his set-piece deliveries, Massey struck for the only goal of the game on 55 minutes as Rovers’ poor defending was duly punished.
Paddy Kavanagh’s deep corner was knocked back across goal by Derek Foran and left-back Massey toed the ball home off a post from just yards out.
Rovers responded and had their only real chance to level four minutes later, but substitute Tadhg Purcell shot straight at goalkeeper Chris O’Connor after Seán O’Connor headed down Simon Madden’s cross from the right.
O’Connor curled a free-kick over the top on 63 minutes, but that was about as good as it got as Rovers’ six-match unbeaten run came to an end.
Save for a second minute Shane Robinson shot that O’Connor ably dealt, Rovers struggled against a well-organised, resolute Bray who created the two best chances of the first half.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Duggan (Murphy, half-time); Madden, Maguire, Webb, Cahill; Robinson, Rice, Cameron (Bradley, 63 mins), O'Connor; Baker (Purcell, 51 mins), Twigg.
BRAY WANDERERS:O'Connor; Webster, Deans, Foran, Massey; McCabe (Mulroy, 83 mins), Mulcahy, Shields, Kavanagh; Kelly, Byrne (Forsyth, 87 mins).
Referee: M Gough (Limerick).
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