First date with destiny for Monaghan and Bray

THE clock starts on 180 minutes of destiny for Monaghan United and Bray Wanderers this evening as the first leg of the Airtricity League promotion/relegation play-off kicks off at Gortakeegan (7.45pm).

Clinging to their Premier Division status, Bray go into the game carrying the ‘losers’ tag, having been beaten 1-0 by Galway United at Terryland Park in the first phase of the play-offs. By contrast, First Division Monaghan rediscovered their best form of the season by seeing off Waterford United 3-1 at the RSC.

But it’s effectively back to scratch for both sides this evening, with Bray’s Director of Football Pat Devlin anxious that his side put the loss to Galway firmly behind them. “We didn’t reach the standard of recent weeks in Terryland Park,” he says.