Details

Date Time League Season
18 March 2023 3:00 pm LOI Men's First Division 2023

Match Report

Bray come from 2 down to draw with 10 man Waterford

A goal-of-the-season contender from Max Murphy salvaged Bray Wanderers a point away to ten man Waterford at the RSC this afternoon.

Ronan Coughlan the former St Pats striker bagged his first two goals since making the move to Waterford in the off season, in a dramatic opening half that saw Christopher Conn Clarke sent off before the half hour mark.

Ben Feeney pulled one back for Bray in added time and they had chances in the second half but Murphy produced a sensational strike to secure a draw, as Waterford manager Darry Searle also saw a red card in the tie.

It was a good start from the Blues with Ronan Coughlan, Barry Baggley and Shane Griffin all linking up well to build an attack, but Luka Lovic produced a good block on the edge of the area to prevent Griffin having a strike at goal.

The best of the early chances stayed with the hosts as they applied great pressure trying to test that Bray defence from the off, Ryan Burke made a great run down the left wing and sent a dangerous cross across the face of goal but neither Ronan Coughlan or Roland Idowu could get anything to it and send it into the net.

Waterford stayed pressing and had chances but they broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, Burke involved as he fancied his luck from outside the area but the shot instead found Rona Coughlan on its route to goal and Coughlan managed to fire an effort into the net, Bray appealed for offside furious at the decision head coach Ian Ryan was shown a yellow card.

A dramatic few minutes would transpire as we got to the midway point, Christopher Conn Clarke was fouled inside the area as the referee pointed to the spot, Coughlan stepped up and sent Alex Moody the wrong way as Waterford started to control the tie.

However in the space of four minutes Conn Clarke would be shown two yellow cards and was sent for an early bath as Waterford had to play the remainder with ten men, on the half hour mark Bray had their best chance of the half as Joe Power struck the woodwork from a dangerous free kick.

With the scoreboard in their favour Waterford still were in search of a third to put the game a little bit more to bed as they had to endure having a man ess on the field, Coughlan had a glorious chance to complete his hat trick, he raced behind the Bray rearguard and chipped the ball over the onrushing Moody but the effort just went wide.

Another chance for Waterford came before we headed for added time, Roland Idowu played a great ball into the area but Lovic again with a great intervention to prevent Bagley having a shot.

Bray would strike back in added on time, Burke had put the ball out for a corner as Martin could have been beaten at his back post, Bray worked the corner well and Max Murphy had an effort cleared off the line by Eddie Nolan but the ball fell to Ben Feeney and he made no mistake firing it to the back of the net and making it 2-1 at the interval.

Into the second half and Waterford had the first effort on goal, Coughlan made a great move but didn't make the right pass in time to see Idowu, Baggley tried his luck from range but his shot flew over from the edge of the box.

Bray had a great chance to draw level through Cole Omorehiomwan, he had Martin stretching to keep out an effort he got on the end pf from a long range Bray free kick into the area, before Eddie Nolan was needed to clear a header from Omorehiomwan from the resulting corner after Martins initial save.

It was cagey but Bray would get their goal in the 75th minute and it was simply breathtaking, Max Murphy with space and time got the ball after it was headed clear from the Waterford area, he took aim and fired a looping shot that went over Martin and into the top left corner of the net to level matters.

Waterford had few chances to come back after that goal, Shane Griffin with the best of them as we ticked into added on time he struck a lovely shot that hit the right post and Bray were able to clear.

Danny Searle saw red late on after a coming together on the field saw Murphy and Idowu carded, but something was said on the sideline and Searle was sent to the stands. A result that leaves the table as it was in terms of position, Bray remain third a point behind Cobh, while Waterford remain a point behind in fourth.

Waterford

1Paul Martin Goalkeeper 64'
2Darragh Power Defender
3Ryan Burke Defender
4Niall O’Keeffe Midfielder 90+4'
6Eddie Nolan Defender
7Shane Griffin Midfielder
8Barry Baggley 12 Midfielder 52'
11Christopher Conn-Clarke Midfielder 23'
28'
19Ronan Coughlan 9 Forward 20', 22'
20Roland Idowu Midfielder 79'
22Giles Phillips Defender 84'
31Tom Donaghy Goalkeeper
9Thomas Oluwa 19 Forward 90+6'
10Connor Parsons Forward
12Tunmise Sobowale 8 Defender
14Charles Ondo Defender
24Killian Cantwell Defender
27Dean McMenamy Midfielder
29Wassim Aouachria Forward
34Dean Larkin Midfielder

Bray Wanderers

1Alex Moody Goalkeeper
2Eoin Farrell 3 Forward
6Luka Lovic 9 Midfielder
7Conor Crowley 11 Midfielder
8Harry Groome Midfielder
12Cole Omorehiomwan Defender 25'
14Dane Massey Defender
15Ben Feeney Forward 45+1'
18Max Murphy Midfielder 75'
79'
19Jake Walker 10 Forward
23Joe Power 21 Midfielder
25Stephen McGuinness Goalkeeper
3Len O’Sullivan 2 Defender
4Jack Hudson Defender
9Chris Lyons 6 Forward
10Conor Davis 19 Forward
11Ger Shortt 7 Forward
16Callum Thompson Forward
20Conor Knight Midfielder
21Guillermo Almirall 23 Midfielder
  • 96'

    All over in the RSC as Murphy's strike was enough to take a point for Bray and keep them unbeaten in the league

  • 96'

    Oluwa the next player to get carded

  • 94'

    Niall O'Keeffe carded

  • 91'

    Shane Griffin has a glorious chance tow in it but his effort comes back off the post

  • 90'

    Four minutes of added time

  • 90'

    Late change for Bray as Guillermo Almirall and Conor Davis replaces Power and Walker

  • 84'

    Another coming together and Giles Phillips is carded

  • 79'

    Waterford manager Danny Searle is also shown a red card after something said from the sideline

  • 79'

    Coming together here as Roland Idowu and Max Murphy both get cards

  • 75'

    Murphy take a bow what a strike, the ball falls to him outside the area and he strikes a beauty that loops over Martin into the back of the net

  • 75'

    MAX MURPHY OH MY GOD WHAT A GOAL AND BRAY ARE LEVEL

  • 71'

    Chane up front for the Blues as Thomas Oluwa comes in for Coughlan who will not complete his hat trick this afternoon

  • 66'

    Bray make another change as Chris Lyons replaces Luka Lovic

  • 64'

    Yet another yellow card this time it is Paul Martin who gets carded

  • 59'

    Change for the hosts as Baggley who is on a yellow goes off for Tunmise Sobowale

  • 57'

    Cole Omorehiomwan has another chance from the resulting corner and it needs to be cleared off the line by Eddie Nolan

  • 56'

    Cole Omorehiomwan has Martin stretching to keep out an effort from a long range Bray free kick into the area

  • 53'

    Both sides having early possession in this second half, Waterford have another effort on goal as Coughlan makes a great move but doesn't make the right pass in time, Baggley gets it and shoots over from the edge of the box.

  • 52'

    First major event of the opening half sees Baggley pick up a yellow card

  • 46'

    Two changes for Bray at half time, with Ger Shortt and len O'Sullivan coming in to replace Crowley and Farrell.

  • 46'

    Bray gets us underway here for the second half

  • 47'

    Half time in what has been a dramatic opening half of football at the RSC, Bray pull one back in added time and down to ten men its a big second half for the blues

  • 46'

    Bray pull one back in added on time as Ben Feeney on his first start snipes home an effort after Waterford failed to clear a corner

  • 45'

    Another chance for Waterford as Roland Idowu plays a great ball into the area but Lovic gets it away from Bagley before he can have a shot

  • 42'

    Ronan Coughlan has a lovely chance to make it 3-0 and complete his hat trick, he lofts a chip over the on rushing Alex Moody but the effort just goes to the right of the post and wide

  • 35'

    Paul Martin takes his time kicking the ball out of his box as Waterford play around the back and he is almost dispossessed in the process just getting the ball away in time

  • 30'

    Bray almost get on the scoresheet a lovely free kick comes back of the post, Martin looked beaten

  • 28'

    Its all kicking off here as Conn Clarke is shown a second yellow and sent for an early shower for a rash tackle

  • 25'

    What a dramatic last five minutes at the RSC Coughlan gives the hosts the lead, then Conn Clarke is fouled in the area, Coughlan dispatches the kick, three yellows are shown in quick succession

  • 25'

    Cole Omorehiomwan is shown a yellow card as Darragh Power is down for treatment

  • 23'

    Chris Conn Clarke gets the second yellow of the game in a dramatic two minutes

  • 22'

    Coughlan slots home the penalty sending Moody the wrong way

  • 21'

    PENALTY WATERFORD

  • 19'

    Bray coach Ian Ryan is carded after arguing that there was an offside in the build-up

  • 19'

    Its a goal for Waterford and Ronan Coughlan has his first goal for Waterford, the striker able to be in a poachers position to tap in a deflected Burke shot into the area

  • 16'

    Barry Baggley takes a short corner gets it back and whips a dangerous cross into the area but no Waterford man is there to meet it and it goes out for a goal kick

  • 10'

    Best chance of the tie so far goes the way of the hosts Ryan Burke crosses a dangerous ball into the Bray box, it flashes past the six yard box and neither Ronan Coughlan or Roland Idowu could get a touch on it to put it into the Bray goal

  • 3'

    Early threat by the hosts as Shane Griffin tries to place an effort from outside the area but Luke Lovic does well to block the shot before it heads for goal

  • 1'

    Waterford will kick us off here playing from right to left

  • The teams make their way out onto the field, both playing in their home kits this afternoon

  • Both teams can jump to second with a win but Waterford need a two goal margin to get them into that spot

  • Kick off minutes away in Waterford, the weather is dry but a breeze is picking up

  • The Seagulls are unbeaten but two draws in a row for them has allowed the teams above them to pull away in the early title race, they will not be too worried but are out to keep that unbeaten streak alive with a big three points, to do that Luka Lovic and Ben Feeney are handed their first starts of the season, two changes for Bray as Conor Davis and Guillermo Almirall both drop to the bench, they are joined however by Chris Lyons and Ger Lyons who both make a return to the squad

  • Waterford won their last tie with a 1-0 win away in Athlone and are looking to build some form, they make two changes from that side as Thomas Oluwa and Wassim Aouachria both drop to the bench, with Christopher Conn Clarke and Roland Idowu both coming into the starting line up

  • Bray meanwhile have had a terrific start to this season with two wins from their opening four games and remain unbeaten, they haven't faced a side yet of Waterford's credentials and this will be a real test for them, but it is a game they will want to win to stake their claim as a promotion contender this season

  • Waterford were tipped as an early favourite for the league title coming off the back of last season, but are eight points behind Galway before kick off, they are in the promotion picture but know from last season it is not a guarantee, they also started slow and came good once Danny Searle came on board

  • The RSC plays host to a big tie in the early hunt for promotion as fourth placed Waterford host third placed Bray, it is expected to be a terrific contest, my name is Diarmuid Kearney and I will be reporting on this tie this afternoon

Past Meetings

(Round 32)
0 - 3
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers 0-3 Waterford

(Round 21)
1 - 0
LOI Men's First Division
Regional Sports Centre

Waterford v Bray Wanderers

(Round 15)
1 - 4
LOI Men's First Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers v Waterford

(Round 2)
1 - 0
LOI Men's First Division
Regional Sports Centre

Waterford v Bray Wanderers

2 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre

Waterford FC v Bray Wanderers FC

0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers FC v Waterford FC

2 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Carlisle Grounds

Bray Wanderers FC v Waterford FC

3 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre

Waterford FC v Bray Wanderers FC

Ground

Regional Sports Centre
Waterford Regional Sports Centre, Inner Ring Road, Kilbarry, Waterford, County Waterford, Munster, X91 KT29, Ireland

Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.