Drogheda reduce gap on leaders Sligo to six points

Bray Wanderers 1 Drogheda United 3

The Seagulls had an early chance when Daire Doyle’s 35 yard free-kick went narrowly wide.

Striker John Mulroy then went close for the home side before Adam Mitchell had a header deflected for a corner.

Waters again went close on 24 minutes but saw his effort well saved by Drogheda keeper Gabriel Sava.

The visitors might have broken the deadlock when Ryan Brennan appeared to be fouled in the box by Danny O’Connor. But referee Rob Rogers turned down the penalty appeals.

Houston and Kevin O’Connor combined excellently on 42 minutes to set up Doyle to fire in a shot which rebounded off the angle of upright and crossbar.

Drogheda grabbed the lead on 46 minutes when, after a weak header out of defence by Danny O’Connor, defender Eric Foley to let fly with a marvellous left- foot volley from 30 yards into the roof of the net.

Bray went close to an equaliser when a Waters cross deflected off Philip Hand to hit the post.

Sean Brennan should have stretched Drogheda’s lead on 67 minutes. He galloped clear of the Bray defence and attempted to round Quigley only for the keeper to grab the ball at the midfielder’s feet.

Drogheda were to regret that miss when Bray equalised just two minutes later, when an Adam Hanlon cross found fellow substitute Dean Marshall at the far post to nod home.

Bray’s joy was shot-lived as Drogheda regained the lead on 73 minutes after a Hanlon foul on Hand inside the area. Declan O’Brien made no mistake with the penalty.

After Bray defender Kevin O’Connor was sent off for a second yellow card offence, Drogheda made the points safe on 82 minutes when an O’Brien free-kick from 20 yards was only parried by Quigley and substitute Jason Marks tapped-in.

BRAY WANDERERS: D. Quigley; S. O’Connor, D. O’Connor, Mitchell, Massey; Houston (Marshall 68), Doyle (Hanlon 68), Zambra, K. O’Connor, Waters; Mulroy (Akinade 84).

Drogheda United: Sava; Gannon, Foley (Sullivan 68), Prendergast, Hand; R. Brennan (Marks 75), Crowley, S. Brennan, Byrne; O’Brien, Hynes (Brady 87).

Referee: Rob Rogers (Dublin).