AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION:St Patrick's Ath 3 Bray Wanderers 0
ST PAT’S head into the mid-season break sitting pretty on top of the Premier Division table thanks to a first-half Vinny Faherty double and an injury-time strike from Conor Sinnott at Richmond Park.
Superior from the start, St Pat’s took the lead after two minutes when Faherty slotted past Bray goalkeeper Brian Kane from close range after the visitors failed to deal with Damien Lynch’s free kick from the right of the box.
St Pat’s continued to dominate and Faherty netted his second goal on 14 minutes when he met Derek Doyle’s cross from the left wing and headed confidently past Kane from just outside the six-yard box.
Apart from a couple of free kicks, Bray didn’t threaten Pat’s much, though they did have a penalty claim on 32 minutes when the ball appeared to strike Shane Guthrie on the arm. Referee Dave McKeon waived away their pleas.
Derek Doyle went very close to putting Pat’s three up on the hour mark with a rasping free kick that flashed past the right upright.
On 63 minutes, Kane made a vital intervention to block a half attempt by Dave Mulcahy of St Pat’s, who had raced clear on goal but then hesitated to allow the goalkeeper time to foil his effort.
Kane made another excellent save on 77 minutes from a Paul Byrne header but he could do nothing about Sinnott’s late shot with his defence nowhere to be seen.
ST PATRICK'S ATH:Rogers; Haverty, Lynch, Kenna, Guthrie; Guy, Derek Doyle (Cash 75), S Byrne, Mulcahy; Williams (P Byrne 75), Faherty (Sinnott 89).
BRAY WANDERERS:Kane; Daire Doyle, Tresson (Kavanagh 70), O'Connor, Massey; O'Neill, Brennan, Shields, Kelly; Mulroy (Zambra 83), Vickers (R Doyle 64).
Referee:D McKeon (Dublin)
Attendance: 1009
