Cork City 1
Bray Wanderers 1
DESPITE PLAYING MORE than an hour with 10 men, Bray Wanderers held on for a point as Cork City couldn’t close the gap on Dundalk at Turner’s Cross tonight.
Although they had almost all of the chances in the second half, Garry Buckley’s 50th-minute equaliser was as good as it got for John Caulfield’s side, who had fallen behind to Gareth McDonagh’s goal on 14 for the Seagulls.
McDonagh was the beneficiary of some good play from Ismahil Akinade, who had made a good run in from the right, with the ball falling to McDonagh, who finished well.
Cork tried to respond to that but found Bray goalkeeper Stephen McGuinness in good form and even though Bray lost Michael Barker to a red card for a reckless challenge on John Dunleavy, they remained ahead at half-time.
Cork went with two up front as Danny Morrissey was introduced at half-time and straightaway they looked more incisive. Mark O’Sullivan went close and then Buckley found the net, firing home after O’Sullivan’s lay-off from Billy Dennehy’s low cross.
From there on it was a siege – barring one Bray chance for sub Philip Hughes, whose shot past Mark McNulty was cleared off the line by Dunleavy – Bray’s resistance saw them earn a point.
CORK CITY: McNulty; Lenihan, Murray, D Dennehy, Dunleavy; G Morrissey, Healy; Morrison (D Morrissey half-time), Buckley (O’Shea 89), B Dennehy, O’Sullivan.
BRAY WANDERERS: McGuinness; Barker, Mitchell, Cooney, Gorman; Akinade, Kelly, Cassidy (O’Connor half-time), Zambra, Scully; McDonagh (Hughes 56).
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).
