Bray Wanderers - 1 Sligo Rovers - 1: Among the reasons Rob McDonald gave for accepting the Sligo job was a desire to return to a "British style of football". Having managed in the Netherlands and South Africa, the former Newcastle United player got his wish last night as his Sligo players dug deep for a point in a keenly-contested, frantic end-to-end game.
The visitors started confidently and Bray could have been a goal down inside 12 minutes but Gary Rogers tipped Fahrudin Kudozovic's in-swinging corner over his crossbar.
Although Sligo were imaginative going forward they found it difficult to breach a defence that grew in confidence. That resurgence infiltrated the players further upfield and before long Eddie Gormley's side were in harmony in every department. The Sligo rearguard found strikers Kevin O'Brien and Andrei Gerorgescu difficult to contain. With 22 minutes played, O'Brien played in his partner who tucked an angled ball past John O'Hara from 12 yards.
Sligo regrouped and peppered Gary Rogers's goal until the break. Alan Hughes's header was parried by goalkeeper Rogers and Paul McTiernan and Conor O'Grady forced him into smart saves.
Sligo's hopes appeared doomed six minutes before half-time when striker Choice Aisien was dismissed for clashing off the ball with Chris Deans. However, the visitor's equalise 10 minutes after the restart, Liam Burns heading home Kudozovic's corner.
The remainder was played out in thrilling fashion with both sides attacking with intent. Rogers was at full stretch to deny Kudozovic while at the other end Gerorgescu's acrobatic bicycle kick was only a fraction wide.
BRAY WANDERERS: Rogers; Ivory, Deans, Tresson, Tyrrell; O'Shea, Caffrey, Fox, Broderick; O'Brien, Georgescu. Subs: Cousins for O'Brien (63), Manley for Broderick (70).
SLIGO ROVERS: O'Hara; Peers, McKenzie, Burns, Foy; Kudozovic, Curran, O'Grady, Hughes; McTiernan, Aisien. Subs: Kelly for Foy (28), Mulligan for McKenzie, Coleman for Hughes (both half-time). Red card: Aisien (39).
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).
