Friday the 13th was anything unlucky for The Seagulls
Bray Wanderers 2–1 UCD AFC
League of Ireland First Division – Friday, 13 March 2026
Gareth Danaher reports from the Carlisle Grounds
A late strike from Richard Ferizaj secured a dramatic victory for Bray Wanderers as they edged past UCD AFC 2–1 at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night.
With the contest seemingly drifting towards a draw, substitute Ferizaj struck five minutes from time to settle an entertaining First Division encounter and send the home support into celebration.
Bray had made the brighter start and were rewarded in the 18th minute when Ben McCormack opened the scoring. The midfielder finished confidently after a UCD misspass, giving the hosts a deserved early advantage.
The Seagulls controlled much of the first half and carried a 1–0 lead into the interval, though UCD remained within touching distance and gradually grew into the contest after the restart.
The visitors found their breakthrough in the 72nd minute. A well-worked move created space for Hugh Smith, who finished smartly to level the tie and shift the momentum towards the Dublin students.
For a period it looked as though UCD might press on for a winner, but Bray regained their composure and struck decisively late on.
With five minutes remaining, Achara broke through and setup Ferizaj to restore Bray’s lead, firing home to settle the contest and ensure all three points remained in Wicklow.
UCD pushed forward in search of another equaliser in stoppage time, but Bray’s defence held firm to seal an important victory and maintain their positive start to the First Division campaign.
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Scorers:
Bray Wanderers – McCormack (18’), Ferizaj (85’)
UCD – Smith (72’)
Starting Lineups:
Bray Wanderers: J.Corcoran (gk & captain), A.Kizenga, J.Duggan, S.Brennan, D.Ring, D.Osagie, C.Doyle, B. McCormack, B. O’Neill, T. Sammy, D.O’Shea
UCD AFC: D.Kavanagh (gk), L.Cailloce, E.Clancy (captain), A.Wells, M.McCullagh, L.Dignam, C.Behan, H.Smith, N.Holohan, C.Bolton, S.Mohan
Attendance: 1,015 (official).
Man of the Match: Sean Brennan (Bray Wanderers)
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