Shamrock Rovers 2
Bray Wanderers 1
SEAN HEANEY INSPIRED Shamrock Rovers to victory over Bray Wanderers in the final Airtricity League clash of the Easter Weekend, with the Hoops running out 2-1 winners in Tallaght.
The young defender won a penalty for the homeside after six minutes, which Gary McCabe converted, and he then headed in the second to earn Trevor Croly’s men all three points.
Bray won a penalty themselves with 15 minutes to go, which was scored by David Scully, and although they pressed late on, they could not force an equaliser.
The Hoops came into the game off the back of their 2-2 draw with Dundalk on Friday night, and they dominated before scoring the opening goal.
Kieran Marty-Waters, who was facing his former team, delivered a corner-kick, and Heaney went down under the challenge of Niall Cooney.
McCabe rifled the spot-kick into the top corner, and the eventual winners kept the pressure on after that, with Ciaran Kilduff being denied twice by Stephen McGuinness.
Bray upped their tempo in the opening minutes of the second half, but when Heaney headed home McCabe’s corner-kick after 57 minutes the points looked secured.
However, when Ismahil Akinade went down under the challenge of Simon Madden in the Rovers penalty area with 15 minutes to go, Scully converted to give the visitors hope.
They pressed for another late goal, but they could not find a way through, and Shamrock Rovers took a vital three points to keep them in the mix at the top of the league table.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy, Madden, McGuinness, Heaney, McCabe, Robinson, Finn (Sheppard 75), McPhail (Bayly 63), Waters, Kilduff (Zayed 68). Substitutes: Hyland, Byrne, O’Connor, Brennan, Bayly, Zayed, Sheppard
BRAY WANDERERS: McGuinness, McGill, Maloney, Cooney, Mitchell, Cassidy, Zambra, Kelly (Curran 74), Hanlon, Akinade (Byrne 78), Scully (O’Neill 85). Substitutes: Redmond, Byrne, McGlynn, Curran, Hurley, Brown, O’Neill.
