Twigg on the double

Shamrock Rovers 3 Bray Wanderers 1

Gary Twigg’s 20th and 21st goals of the season saw Shamrock Rovers come from behind to avenge their last league defeat and move back to within a point of leaders Bohemians.

Having won at Tallaght on their last visit back on May day, Bray were far from overawed and deservedly took the lead on 15 minutes.

Barry Johnston initially cleared Gareth Coughlan’s diving header from a Dane Massey corner off the line. But the ball fell for defender Dave Webster to blast home.

Rovers responded and Bray keeper Chris O’Connor parried a header from Aidan Price before Padraig Amond was narrowly off target with an audacious overhead kick. Twigg then thought he’d levelled on 29 minutes, only to see his shot from Ross Chisholm’s corner taken off the line by Massey.

But it might have been 2-0 on 41 minutes as Bray skipper Derek Pender’s touch from a Massey shot was inches over the Rovers' bar as they struggled to defend another corner.

His side disjointed in the first half, Rovers’ boss Michael O’Neill had to make changes, and substitute Sean O’Connor had an immediate impact for the equaliser on 55 minutes. The winger’s short corner was whipped over by Pat Sullivan and skipper Stephen Rice fired home from close range for the equaliser.

Twigg then put Rovers in front on 67 minutes. O’Connor was again the instigator, crossing from the left for the Scot to head past O’Connor.

Rovers sealed the points, to extend their unbeaten league run to 18 games, five minutes later when O’Connor headed Stephen Bradley’s cross back across goal for Twigg to hook home off his trusted left foot.