Bray Wanderers' tight disciplined formation, even while playing with 10 men for half of the game, was the simple formula for success when they sent Kilkenny packing in this FAI Cup quarter-final at Buckley Park on Saturday night.
Bray's defensive plan was simple. The ball was driven away via route one all the time. Kilkenny were restricted to one meaningful shot on target during the first half. They had only one more effort of note afterwards.
Bray's first goal came in the ninth minute after Kilkenny defender Niall Keogh dallied on the ball in the right-back position. He was robbed of possession by Philip Keogh and his cross was met by Jason Byrne who headed home from the edge of the six-yard box.
Kilkenny went close to grabbing an equaliser in the 21st minute. Paul Scully had a powerful drive from 20 yards on target but Bray's goalkeeper Eddie Van Boxtel finger-tipped the ball out for a corner.
Just before half-time Bray suffered what could have been a potentially crippling blow when Byrne was sent off after tangling with Kilkenny's goalkeeper Robbie Ford.
In the second half Kilkenny employed two centre forwards, with defender Brendan Rea joining Trevor Vaughan in a bid to breach Bray's defence. The best chance of an equaliser came in the 55th minute when Rea toe-poked the ball through for Jonathan Prizeman. But Kilkenny's top scorer blasted the effort from 12 yard against the crossbar.
Within two minutes Bray had the game wrapped up. Philip Keogh mis-kicked cross from the edge of the box on the left. As Kilkenny's defence stood looking, Colm Tresson pounced to drill the ball into the net from 16 yards.
Kilkenny City: R Forde, N Keogh, K Carolan, M Kerley, D Breen, B Flood, P Scully, A Forde, T Vaughan, J Prizeman, B Rea. Subs: D Walsh for Keogh (52 mins), F Carter for Flood (64 mins), R Ginty for Vaughan (70 mins).
Bray Wanderers: E Van Boxtel, C Tresson, M Farrell, J Lynch, M Doohan, D O'Connor, B O'Connor, A Dodd, C O'Brien, J Byrne, P Keogh. Subs: J Dutton for O'Brien (69 mins).
Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).
