UCD 2 Bray Wanderers 3:INSPIRED BY two brilliant second-half goals from winger Jake Kelly, Bray Wanderers advanced to the quarter-finals with a narrow victory over fellow Premier Division strugglers UCD in last night's one-sided tie at the Belfield Bowl.
It was a measure of revenge for basement club Bray who had been beaten by the Students in their three previous league meetings this season.
Bray went in front on 10 minutes when a free by winger Kelly was headed down by defender Seán Houston for Shane O’Neill to rifle home a shot from 15 yards. It was the striker’s 13th goal of the season.
O’Neill had a couple of good chances to add to his tally. He fired against the upright and then after 27 minutes finished weakly having been sent clear by Danny O’Connor’s through ball, Andy Boyle getting back to clear off the line.
Bray stretched their lead on 54 minutes. Shane O’Connor’s pass allowed Kelly to race forward and lob the ball over the advancing Gerard Barron and into the net.
David Webster set Kelly up for Bray’s third after 68 minutes – the striker firing home an angled shot from 20 yards.
Ciarán Kilduff struck twice for two late consolation goals for UCD. First the striker fired home on 83 minutes from close range after a cross by Chris Mulhall. Then substitute Ward sent over a cross from the right which Kilduff volleyed home from eight yards. But it was too little, too late.
UCD: Barron; P.OConnor, E.McMillan, Boyle, David O’Connor (Shorthall, 64 mins); Wilson (Ward, 64 mins), Bolger, Creevy, Mulhall, Rusk, Kilduff.
BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Webster, S O’Connor, Prendergast , Houston; Zambra, Danny O’Connor, Shields, Dempsey, Kelly (Doyle, 81 mins), ONeill.
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).
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