UCD 0 Bray Wanderers 1
Cian Doyle’s dramatic injury-time winner gave Bray the edge over UCD in the first-leg of the 2025 SSE Airtricity Men's First Division play-off.
In a repeat of the 2024 Semi Final, and a year to the day since Wanderers won the first-leg 2-0 (12 months ago at the Carlisle Grounds), it seemed the teams would finish scoreless this time around at the Bowl.
Max Murphy whipped a free kick wide left right footed into the danger zone in the 94th minute.
In a crowded area, Cian Doyle rose to steer in a glancing header that sealed a hard-fought victory to spark wild celebrations in the Seagulls camp.
Amid the wet conditions, the match was played on a heavy pitch.
In what was at times a feisty affair, no less than eight players saw yellow – four for each club.
Six of the yellow came from the 75th minute on.
But the talk was about one that wasn’t issued.
Having gone in referee Lucas Keating’s book in the 43rd minute for a foul on Kilian Cantwell, home left-back Brian McManus went in late on Guillermo Almirall nearn the dug-outs right on half time.
Surrounded by players from both sides, both protesting their cause, the match official took over 90 seconds to restore order.
Remarkably, the defender went unpunished.
McManus was then substituted at the interval.
From the line-up who’d defeated Kerry 5-1 five days previous at the Carlisle, goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran, defenders Cantwell, Harvey Warren and Max Murphy, midfielders Rhys Knight and Justin Ferizaj along with striker Cian Curtis, all started.
In truth, the ‘College had the better of the opening period. But the Wicklow outfit bossed the second half.
The hosts’ Hugh Smith got the first shot on goal in the 24th minute when a loose header fell to the forward inside the penalty area. But his effort was brilliantly blocked by a lunging Alain Kinzenga.
The best opportunity of the period half came in the 42nd minute for UCD.
A looping header at the back post was allowed bounce and Adam Brennan rifled a volley that hit the bar, dropping before the goal-line, before the Green and White’s scrambled the ball clear by Cantwelll’s header for a corner.
Home midfielder Adam Verdon flashed narrowly wide in the 52nd when a corner came to him on the edge of the box.
But the visitors got on top from that point on.
On 64, Max Murphy lofted a hanging cross in from the left. Curtis got ahead of his marker to loop a header that Bray native Noah Douglas, the 17-year-old deputising between the posts for the suspended Dara Kavanagh, was forced to tip onto the bar and over.
Then in the 71st minute, Juston Ferizaj’s pass carved open the Students defence. Curtis latched onto the ball, then shot on the turn from 15-yards. But Douglas turned the ball around the upright.
With 13 minutes remaining, UCD’s Ciaran Behan weaved his way forward. Holding off two challenges, his 22-yard drive skimmed the side netting.
Brought on just moments before, away substitute Sean Brennan faced his former club.
His 79th minute run and pass picked out Cian Doyle. The Shankill native skipped past two tackles to get into the box. But his right footed effort flew just past the left post.
UCD: Noah Douglas; Adam Wells, Declan Osagie, Eanna Clancy, Brian McManus (Carl Lennox half time); Adam Verdon; Mikey McCullagh (Killian Cailloce 56), Ciaran Behan, Jake Doyle (Louis Dignam 89), Adam Brennan; Hugh Smith (Ronan Finn 56).
Subs not used: Michael Raggett, Matthew Alonge, Niall Holohan, Colin Bolton, Karl Andrade.
Booked: McManus 43, Behan 80, Clancy 84, Verdon 90 + 2.
Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran; Alain Kizenga, Killian Cantwell, Harvey Warren, Max Murphy; Cian Doyle, Rhys Bartley; Guillermo Almirall (Conor Knight 64); Rhys Knight (Sean Brennan 74), Justin Ferizaj; Cian Curtis (Richard Ferizaj 87).
Subs not used: Jamie Duggan, Paul Murphy, Benjamin Fagemi, Cristiano Bramley, Matthew Britton, Stephen McGuinness,.
Booked: Kizenga 40, Bartley 75, Cian Doyle 83, Max Murphy 84.
Referee: Lucas Keating (Cork).
Pictures: Paul and Joe Barrett.
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