Match Report - Bray Wanderers 4 Longford Town 0

Posted on 19th April 2025 at 17:25

Bray Wanderers 4 Longford Town 0

It may have been Good Friday. But it turned out to be a Great Friday for Bray as they again re-wrote the history books.

By beating Longford at a wet Carlisle Grounds, Wanderers equalled the club record of five League wins in a row.

With SSE Airtricity First Division leaders Dundalk drawing away to Treaty United, the second placed Wicklow outfit are now finish five points behind the Lilywhite’s.

Brothers Conor and Rhys Knight also became just the second set of siblings to score for Bray in a League meeting.

Striker Cian Curtis also found the net for the first time in Green and White colours while Max Murphy continued to be spot on with his fourth penalty conversion of the 2025 season.

The Midlanders came to the seaside looking to end an nine-month run without an away success.

Instead, they left on the back of a 4-0 defeat.

With that said, they did have chances with the score at just 1-0 in the opening period – if they had they been taken – could have produced a different outcome.

There was one change to the home team who’d defeated Treaty last week at the same venue, with Curtis coming in to lead the attack.

On the bench, Rhys Knight, Alain Kizenga and Thomas Considine joined the substitutes.

It took just six minutes for the hosts’ early pressure to pay off.

Wide right, Jamie Duggan took his return throw from Cian Doyle’s lay-off to whip the ball in to the box. Conor Knight lost his marker to thump in a ten-yard header.

Having claimed two clean sheets in his previous three games, Jimmy Corcoran got down well to turn Daragh Murtagh’s low drive round the post.

The ‘Town had a great opportunity to draw level in the 22nd minute.

From O’Shea’s long throw off the right, the ball was flicked on. It came to the unmarked Mohammed Bodiaf. But close in, he skied over the bar.

There was a touch of fortune to Wanderers’ second goal in the 33rd minute.

Max Murphy hacked forward from his own half. Andrew Spain misjudged the ball under press from Curtis. Oisin Hand slipped, and that let the forward in on goal. He took his time before slotting past Harry Halwax.

Boudiaf went close to pulling one back for the visitors four minutes after the interval. But his shot flashed wide from the edge of the penalty area.

The Seagulls grabbed the crucial third score in the 65th minute.

Conor Knight intercepted an attempted clearance off the left of the middle. He continued his run past Curtis to take on the pass before hitting a low cross-shot on the right of the box.

Having only entered the field of play just three minutes earlier, sub Rhys Knight was on hand to tap in his first goal in senior football.

Three minutes later, it became four.

Set free off the right channel by Duggan, O’Neill was brough down in the box by O’Shea. The ex-Bray man had been booked in the first period for a foul on the same player which brought a red card form referee Jason Moore.

Max Murphy stepped up to find the net off the spot-kick.

O’Neill along with subs Calum Costello and Guillermo Almirall went close to adding to the home tallly late on.

There was still time for skipper Kilian Cantwell to almost score a goal of the season contender in the 85th minute for the second week on the bounce.

From the centre circle, the defender spotted Halwax off his line. But the ball crashed back off the crossbar.

Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran; Jamie Duggan (Alain Kizenga 77), Kilian Cantwell, Harvey Warren, Max Murphy; Rhys Bartley (Guillermo Almirall 77),

Cian Doyle; Billy O'Neill (Calum Costello 74), Richard Ferizaj (Rhys Knight 62), Conor Knight; Cian Curtis (Danú Kinsella Bishop 74).

Subs not used: Thomas Considine, Philip Cooney, Benjamin Fagbemi, Stephen McGuinness

Booked: Ferizaj 13.

Longford Town: Harry Halwax; Etoile Emmanuel Milongo (Pharrell Manuel 69), Oisin Hand (Aaron Walsh 69), Andrew Spain, Dean O'Shea; Emre Topcu, Jacob Flood Norton; Joshua Harsani Giurgi (Luke Wade Slater 69), Aaron Doran, Mohammed Bodiaf (Dean George 73); Daragh Murtagh (Francis Campbell 73).

Subs not used: Emmanuel James, Osaze Irhue, Jamal Ibrahim, Jack McCarthy,

Booked: Norton 56.

Sent off: O’Shea (booked 40 and 68)

Referee: Jason Moore (Kilkenny)

Mint + Man of the Match: Conor Knight

Pictures: Harry and Stefan Teehan.

A copy of the Seagulls Scene matchday programme of Bray Wanderers v. Longford Town/UCD is available to view and download here