Drogheda United 4 Bray Wanderers 1:Drogheda United moved to the top of the Premier Division for the first time this season after a superb display against Bray Wanderers. They are now a point clear of St Patrick's Athletic, a team Bray frustrated last Friday night with a scoreless draw.
The home side were highly impressive from the outset; they scored early and, despite being pegged back, never lost their momentum, which saw them at times overrun Wanderers as they rattled in four goals in just over 50 minutes.
They took their foot off the gas in the final half hour but the three league points were well and truly in the bag by then.
They opened the scoring when Clive Delaney upended Sami Ristila on the edge of the box after four minutes and James Keddy curled the resulting free round the wall and in off the post.
United goalkeeper Dan Connor could only look on 10 minutes later when Alan Cawley drove a free superbly from 35 metres to the top corner of the net as Bray levelled against the run of play.
Despite this setback United almost regained the lead straightaway. Stuart Byrne picked out Keddy in the box but he drove his effort across goal and wide.
Drogheda continued to play with real flair and were rewarded with a second goal as the game reached the 20-minute mark.
Shane Robinson played a short corner to Ristila, who crossed for Eamon Zayed. He guided the ball with his head into the path of Graham Gartland, whose bullet of a header flew to the net.
Bray almost equalised for a second time in the 27th minute when Gary McCabe turned Gavin Whelan on the left wing before unleashing a drive from 25 metres that beat Connor but came back off the post.
A minute from the break Drogheda put together a great move that produced their third goal.
From defence Zayed picked up the ball and drove into the Bray half before releasing the ball to Ristila out on the left.
He raced away and crossed into the area, where Zayed cleverly dummied, allowing the ball fall to Whelan, who thumped his shot home from 18 metres.
Eight minutes into the second half a now-rampant Drogheda made it four when Gartland's header from half-way arrived at the feet of Zayed and he played the ball into the path of Ristila, who duly applied the finishing touch.
Meanwhile, Drogheda United manager Paul Doolin has made his first summer signing with the capture of Australian centre half John Tambouras from New Zealand Knights.
The 27-year-old has signed an 18-month contract to the end of the 2008 season.
DROGHEDA UNITED:Connor, Lynch, Gray (Keegan, 70 mins), Gartland, Robinson, Whelan, Keddy, Shelley, Byrne, Zayed (O'Keeffe, 69 mins), Ristila (Grant, 58 mins).
BRAY WANDERERS:Williams, Tresson (Tyrrell, 62 mins), Cronin, Delaney, Fox (Broderick, 70 mins), Cawley, Caffrey, Deans, McCabe, Duggan (Hurley, 65 mins), Dunphy.
Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).
