Match Report – Longford Town 0 Bray Wanderers 3

 

Three second-half goals saw Bray move back into the First Division playoff spots. 

 

After a lacklustre first period at Bishopsgate on Saturday evening, Wanderers overpowered Longford to record to back league victories for the first time in the 2024 season. 

 

Peter Grogan’s third strike in the league to date was added to by first scores of the campaign by defender Max Murphy and midfielder Harry Groome. 

 

The visitors also left the Midlanders with a first away clean sheet since October 2023 as they climbed to fifth in the table. 

 

In truth, the away defence stood up strong against bottom of the table ‘Town as goalkeeper Stephen McGuinness did not have a save of note to make in the contest. 

 

Bray broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute in a swift counter attack. 

 

Kieran Cruise sent a ball down the left channel from his own half. It wasn’t cut-out by home defender Oisin Hand. 

 

Grogan – the current Schools International Player of the Year – nipped in ahead of his opponent then stroked a low placed finish past Jack Brady. 

 

It got even better for the Seagulls in the 64th minute. 

 

Cruise won a tackle wide left in his own half. Grogan gathered and burst forward to pick out the run of Conor Knight off the right flank. 

 

He held the ball up then slipped in the overlapping Max Murphy who superbly angled a 15-yard shot to the far corner of the net. 

 

The points were wrapped up in the 80th minute. 

 

Groome won possession when he intercepted as the ‘Town tried to play out from the back. The midfielder then lashed a stunning 22-yard strike on the run to the net. 

 

From the team who’d defeated Athlone Town 3-0 last week at the Carlisle Grounds, there was one change to the line-up with Max Murphy available after suspension. 

 

On the bench, the Wicklow side were boosted by the return of Darren Craven and Cristian Magerusan from injury lay-off’s. 

 

What chances that were created in the opening period went the way of the Green and White’s. 

 

The first real opening arrived in the 28th minute. After Conor Knight played in Grogan, the forward squared to the unmarked Cruise. But the winger fired into the side netting. 

 

Then in the first minute of stoppage time, Shane Griffin’s long range effort was fingertipped over the bar by home custodian Brady. 

 

Longford Town: Jack Brady; Shane Elworthy, Oisin Hand (Francis Campbell 73), Dean O’Shea, Kyle O’Connor; Jordan Tallon; Luke Wade Slater, Bastien Hery, Adam Wixted (Samuel Clarke 73), Karl Chambers; Chris Lyons. 

 

Subs Not used: Ross Fay, Mohammed Boudiaf, Conor Crowley, Ryan Boyle, Callum Bonner, Jack McCarthy 

 

Booked: Hand 70. 

 

Bray Wanderers: Stephen Mc Guinness; Max Murphy (Jamie Duggan 87), Kilian Cantwell, Paul Murphy, Evan Osam; Harry Groome, Shane Griffin (Thomas Morgan 87); Conor Knight (Darren Craven 70), Freddie Turley (Callum Thompson 81), Kieran Cruise; Peter Grogan (Cristian Magerusan 70). 

 

Subs not used: Guillermo Almirall, Zach Nolan, Rhys Knight, Ben Clark. 

 

Booked: Turley 48. 

 

Referee: Rob Hennessy.