AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Shamrock Rovers 1 Bray Wanderers 0:GARY TWIGG got his first home goal of the season as Shamrock Rovers maintained their form to move up to third in the table.
Twigg capped his first start of the season by breaking bottom side Bray’s resolve to set up a third successive win as they stretched their unbeaten run to six games.
Though Rovers dominated much of the game, they had to settle for its only goal which arrived on 36 minutes from a swift counter-attack following a rare Bray assault
Danny Murphy fed Chris Turner who surged forward to pick out Thomas Stewart. Twigg arrived to tap home the low cross.
Beaten 4-0 at home to St Patrick’s on Tuesday, it looked ominous early on for Bray as Rovers had the ball in their box three times inside the opening four minutes. Thankfully for the visitors, Billy Dennehy was slow to find his range as be blazed two efforts well off target.
Kane saved well, this time with his feet, from Dennehy five minutes into the second half to prevent Rovers doubling their lead, before a defensive blunder gifted Bray their first chance a minute later.
Murphy gave the ball straight to Dean Zambra with Alan Mannus saving the blushes of his left-back with a save at the winger’s feet.
That signalled Bray’s best spell, but any chance of a comeback all but ended on 67 minutes when Mark O’Brien got a straight red card for a tackle on Stephen Rice.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Flynn, Murray, Price, Murphy; Dennehy, Turner, Chambers, Cahill (Rice, 64 mins); Stewart (Barrett, 80 mins), Twigg (Baker, 72 mins).
BRAY WANDERERS: Kane; D Doyle, O'Connor, Webster, Massey; Zambra, Shields, O'Brien, Tyrrell (D O'Neill, 86 mins); R Doyle (Mulroy, 74 mins), Rodriguez (Kelly, 79 mins).
Referee: Richie Winter(Dublin).
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